Humanity
by The Flame and Hawk's Eye
Summary: After a horrifying incident, Edward and Roy race against the clock to try and make things right, while Riza struggles with the notion of what it truly means to be human. Royai, Parental/Friendship!RoyEd, EdWin, some AlMei. Rated for violence, language, and graphic scenes. Note: Chimera! Fic.
1. Untraceable

**A/N: **_Detailed A/N at the bottom._

_Enjoy the first chapter of my second multi-chapter FMA:B fanfic._

* * *

"Oh, Elizabeth! It's been too long," Roy Mustang remarked playfully into the phone's voice-piece as he leaned back in his office chair, twirling the phone cord around his finger. "How have you been?"

"Me? Why, I've been fine, Roy," the woman on the other end of the line answered cheerfully. "The shop has been awfully busy as of late, so just playing catch up. We have a big event coming up in a couple of months."

Roy couldn't help but smile to himself. That "big event" was his inauguration ceremony. In just a few, short months, Fuhrer Grumman would hand over the reins and _he_ will be the Fuhrer of Amestris. Sometimes he had to pinch himself to remind him that this was really happening. He had finally accomplished his dream. And he certainly couldn't have done it without her.

"Speaking of big events," he replied coolly as he ran the fingers of his free hand through his raven-black hair, "How about I take you out to dinner tonight? My treat, of course." Upon popping the question, Roy's stomach did a slight somersault and his heart fluttered. He couldn't help it. Things were finally coming together and he felt invincible. Invincible enough, even, to ask his Captain out to dinner.

There was a pause at the end of the line, followed by a regretful, "I'm sorry Roy, but I've got an appointment with my supplier tonight. Perhaps some other time?"

The corners of his lips turned downward in a slight frown as his high dissipated and his bulletproof notion shattered. "Supplier" was the code word for the gun range. She was going _again_?

Roy was grateful that Riza was taking her job as head of security seriously, but sometimes he thought that she was going a little overboard. Ever since he appointed her the position for the inauguration, she has done nothing but paperwork and training, from morning well into the latest hours of the night. And despite her protests when she'd claim to be fine, Roy could tell that the constant pressure she was putting on herself was taking its toll. The dark circles under her eyes and her slightly loose-fitting uniform were dead giveaways. She was overworking herself.

Tonight he would not give her the option of working. However, as he opened his mouth to respond, he was cut off by a deep cackle on the other end of the line.

"Bahahaha! Shot down," the newcomer exclaimed.

"Havoc," Roy leaned forward in his seat and covered his mouth and the phone receiver with his hand, "What the hell do you think you're doing," he hissed into the mouth piece. Was he _trying _to blow their cover?

It took Havoc a few moments to allow his laughter to die down and compose himself. Once he had, he cockily replied, "My line just opened up, sir. Had to let my presence be known somehow."

As Roy began to protest, the phone was snatched from his grip. Lieutenant Breda leaned against the General's desk and pressed the receiver to his ear. "Causing trouble again, Havoc," the Lieutenant smirked devilishly into the phone. "Well, you heard the man. You owe me 1000 cenz."

Roy jerked the phone out of the Lieutenant's grasp. "Sit down, Lieutenant Breda," he ordered as he covered the receiver piece with his hand.

The Lieutenant slowly lowered himself back into his seat next to the General and sighed gloomily, subconsciously forcing the General's feelings of annoyance to lighten. The General knew that not being out in the field was making Breda antsy. But after the Lieutenant had sprained his right ankle while out in the field just a few weeks prior, Roy was not comfortable sending the man back out until they had Dr. Knox's approval. "Yes, sir," the heavy-set man muttered as he elevated his leg and rested it on the stack of books piled in front of him. "Just remind Havoc again that he owes me money."

Roy scoffed and rolled his eyes as he pressed the phone against his ear. "Fuery," he demanded, "Are we really secured?"

"Yes, sir," a fourth voice responded chastely. "The line just went active a couple of seconds ago. Your line is officially disconnected from Central HQ and is directly connected to ours, so you can drop the act, sir."

Damn. So it was true. He'd have to finish his conversation with her once they got back. This time, however, he'd be more persuasive. This time, he'd-

"Don't forget to remind him," Breda whispered as he leaned in toward Roy.

"What is this even about," Roy growled as he glared at the man seated next to him.

The Lieutenant shrugged innocently. "Just a wager. I just don't want him to forget-"

"Fine," Roy briskly cut the other man off. "Havoc," he snapped into the phone.

"Yes, sir," the blond man answered over the line.

"Pay Lieutenant Breda when you see him next."

"But wait! Tell him that wasn't-"

"No," the General replied bluntly, letting his growing irritation become known. They needed to get back to the task at hand. The men were treating these last few missions with too much ease. He didn't want to have to remind them _again_ about the importance of this mission. They should know better by now.

Playtime was over.

"Alright," he continued authoritatively, slipping back into the role as the commander of the operation. "Keep the line up and running, Sergeant. And Captain, Lieutenant?"

"Yes, sir," Hawkeye and Havoc replied simultaneously.

"Any movement?"

"No, sir," Hawkeye replied, her playful "Elizabeth" tone completely gone, instead replaced with her usual monotonous diction. "At least from my end, I have seen no signs of activity."

Roy's frown grew. No, this had to be right. They had worked so meticulously, so diligently to track these men down. It had taken them months, but they were finally able to pinpoint the location of the arms dealers that had been selling weapons illegally to Aerugo. All of their leads had led them there and only there; to that small, unassuming warehouse on the outskirts of southeastern Central. "Havoc? Fuery? Anything from your positions?"

"No, sir," the two replied in unison.

The Flame Alchemist sighed heavily and rubbed the bridge of his nose agitatedly. This was not how he was expecting his team's last mission to go. It should have been an easy stake-out operation. Just go in. Secure the suspects. Secure the weapons, and then report back.

Instead, a sweep of the building and its perimeter had proved fruitless.

They didn't have time to start back at square one. He should have "reassigned" them to his new staff weeks ago, but he had wanted to try and get one last mission in, for old time's sake. However, this was beginning to look like another dead end…

"So… we good to go," Havoc loudly asked over the connection's static. "'Cause I've got a date tonight with Rebecca..."

"And I'm supposed to meet Sheska in an hour," Fuery added timidly. "We're looking over the radio devices at HQ."

Even Fuery had a date tonight? "Fine," Roy growled into the phone as he rubbed his temple, trying to massage away the stress and defeat. "Grab the others and-"

The sound of gunfire cut him off, thundering through the phone's earpiece. Roy jumped up from his desk, nearly dropping the phone's earpiece in surprise. "What's going on?!" he cried into the mouthpiece. When there was no reply, he yelled it again, his pulse rising exponentially with every passing second. He strained to listen, trying to hear if the gunfire was being returned from his men. However, the task proved to be a difficult.

After what seemed like an eternity, he finally heard the muffled noises that accompany the picking up a dropped receiver. Roy held his breath as Kain Fuery spoke, his voice barely discernible above the sound of the continual gunfire. "S-sir…"

"Fuery! What is your status?" Roy felt the desperation swelling inside him.

"It's… it's an ambush, sir. They knew…" Fuery responded, his voice sounding disconnected from the situation entirely. "I-I…" The Sergeant's voice ended abruptly, along with the gunfire.

"Kain!" Roy was screaming into the mouthpiece now. Any composure he had had slipped away. "KAIN!" Only the connection's static greeted him.

"Jean?" Nothing.

No… This wasn't happening. This _can't_ be happening.

"Riza...?" Nothing.

"Riza, please…. Please answer," he begged softly.

Please… he just needed something, _anything_, to let him know she was okay.

After a few moments of silence, he heard a series of rhythmic, deep breaths on the other end of the line. He froze, his heart pounding in his chest. "Riza…?"

The breathing ceased. Roy could hear the receiver being picked up. His blood ran cold when he heard a _snap,_ followed by the loud drone of a lost connection. The line was gone.

The phone receiver slipped from Roy's grasp and clattered onto his desk below.

"Chief," Breda stared up at the Flame Alchemist, his eyes widened with alarm. "What's going-?"

"We have to go," Roy responded with urgency as he stumbled around the desk and toward the door.

Breda leapt up from his chair and limped after the General. "Sir," the man desperately pleaded, "What's going on?"

Roy didn't respond. He didn't know how _to _respond.

All he knew was that his team needed him.

And nothing would stop him from getting to them.

* * *

Roy swayed absently as he tried to process everything they had discovered.

Eleven.

Eleven men were dead, their bodies sprinkled around the warehouse like leaves. Some of them were riddled with bullets, while others were torn to shreds, their mangled bodies barely recognizable.

Much to Roy's deep-seated, albeit selfish relief, Fuery, Havoc, and Hawkeye remained unaccounted for, along with a few other men. Their headsets and weapons were found scattered around the areas they had staked. But near Sergeant Fuery's radio hardware, they had made an additional discovery: a long, narrow trail of blood.

Roy tried desperately to not make any assumptions. It could be anyone's blood. It could be the assailant's… or… or…

He shoved the thoughts away when they tried to surface again. He didn't have the evidence. All he knew what that his team wasn't there amongst the massacre.

Roy passively crouched down next to one of the fallen soldiers and numbly plucked a small tuft of brown, blood-soaked hair from the man's jacket. Raising it to his face, he narrowed his eyes as he tried to make sense of it. The departed man in question was blond and, judging by his wounds; he had hardly put up a fight. Certainly not enough of one to rip out a clump of hair from his killer. So where did it come from…

He quietly slipped the evidence into a small plastic bag upon hearing the crunch of boots on gravel behind him. "Did you find anything," he asked without turning to look at the two men as they approached.

"Nothing…" Lieutenant Breda replied despondently. "Everything's gone… As if they were never here."

_Except for the carnage they left behind_, the General thought bitterly to himself as he stood. After pausing reflecting on the events for a few moments, he turned to face Breda and Armstrong. "Lieutenant Colonel," he addressed Armstrong quietly, "is there anything that you would suggest we do next?" Their other leads were all dead ends. He needed a fresh mind to muddle through the data, someone else to redirect him. Because honestly, he didn't know what to do…

The Lieutenant Colonel's moustache bristled slightly as he pursed his lips together in deep concentration. After collecting his thoughts, the Strongarm Alchemist shook his head slightly, his eyes softening. "I'm at a loss, General. I'm not quite sure-"

"What do you mean," Roy snapped, his onyx glare zeroed in on the Lieutenant Colonel. "You are the head of Investigations now. Do you mean to tell me that you don't know where to go from here?" His composure was slipping away. Time was precious; this was not the time to be sitting idly while half of his team was missing. They needed to act _now_.

"Please, General," the muscled-man raised his hands defensively; "We cannot become divided on this. I need for you to tell me what else you know."

"And what do you mean by that," the General snarled defensively.

"General, was there any indication they knew that you and your team were tracking them?"

Roy gaped at the other alchemist in disbelief. Armstrong knew his team and their strengths. He knew how precise and tactical his team was. There was no way they could make a mistake so large… especially this late in their careers. His accusatory question was absurd and outlandish.

No. There were no mistakes. There couldn't have been… right?

Feeling a heavy weight on his shoulder, Roy was pulled from his thoughts, noticing that the Lieutenant Colonel had placed his massive hand on it as a sign of comfort. Roy refused to raise his head to look at the massive man; he was too busy going over his _own_ mistakes.

He shouldn't have let them talk him out of going. They were concerned for his safety, being so close to his inauguration, when in reality; _he _should have been the one looking out for them.

And now they were gone.

Lost.

Untraceable.

* * *

"Kain, you need to look at me. Focus," Hawkeye quietly commanded as she continued to apply pressure to his wound, attempting to stanch the constant flow of blood that poured from it. The young man had stopped responding to the title "Sergeant" just a few minutes prior. Hawkeye quickly switched tactics and began calling him by his first name, hoping to keep him with her. Now she had to pry in order to get him to even acknowledge her, whether it was with a flutter of his eyelids or a small nod. But his responses were becoming less frequent as he faded in and out of consciousness.

The fact that the bullet had failed to exit his body worried her deeply. With the jostling they had to endure, she feared that it may have migrated to a more critical part of his body.

Being tossed into a dark, musty cell certainly hadn't helped either. The air reeked with the scent of mold and filth and something else that was familiar, but yet she couldn't quite seem to place it. With only the light of a few torches, she had managed to crawl over to Fuery and find his wound, pressing on it firmly with her coat sleeves.

She and Havoc had been lucky. They had come out of the firefight with only a few surface wounds, where bullets had simply grazed them. But some of the others she could not account for. They had been separated from them, taken to some unknown location in this extensive maze of corridors and cement.

And then there were the ones that were left behind…

She knew they were dead. Before they had been blindfolded and taken, she saw their mutilated remains. Some of them twisted and disfigured to the point of unrecognition. They had been marred and mangled by what she could only describe as beasts.

Beasts that had evaded her detection and ambushed them. Beasts that had ripped good men apart without a second thought.

And now here they were, in their lair.

Hawkeye was quickly jolted from her thoughts when Fuery moaned in pain. She looked down at him, realizing that his jacket and her hands were completely stained a deep red.

So much blood… There was so much blood.

She tensed when, out of the corner of her eye, she saw Havoc slowly stand and shuffle over toward them. Without lifting her gaze from Fuery, she softly scolded the other blond. "Lieutenant Havoc, please go and continue tending to Officer Henderson."

Havoc disobeyed and instead sank to his knees next to her. He pulled off his jacket and began compressing it into a ball, ignoring the glare of the Hawk's Eye. Without saying a word, he gently pushed her hands away from Fuery and began pressing the balled up jacket against the wound, soaking up the blood like a sponge.

"Lieutenant Havoc-"

"I can't," the First Lieutenant murmured distantly. "He's dead."

Hawkeye froze, stunned at the news. She had heard them talking just minutes ago. What happened? What changed?

"He," Havoc began again, desperately trying to keep his emotions in check, "He asked me to tell his wife he loved her…" He went to speak again, but stopped when Fuery groaned in pain. Looking down at the Sergeant, Havoc plastered a fake smile on his face. "Hey, buddy…" He quietly began, "How are you feeling?"

Hawkeye hastily moved to over to Fuery's head, maneuvering it gently onto her lap.

The young soldier slowly opened his eyes and tried to focus on his comrades. "It hurts…" he muttered weakly.

"I know it does," Havoc responded softly. "But you have to stay with us. If you fall asleep, you might miss your date with Sheska. You don't want to keep her waiting, right?"

Fuery nodded inactively and managed to mumble an unintelligible response.

Havoc let out a small sigh before turning his eyes toward Hawkeye. His eyes screamed of despair. Taking a shaky breath, he mouthed _"What are we going to do?"_

She opened her mouth to respond, but was interrupted by the sound of metal clashing against metal. Snapping her head around, she glared at the source of the noise.

From the shadows beyond the barred door emerged a wrinkled, short-statured man donning a white lab jacket. Upon seeing the two pairs of eyes watching him intently, his lips parted, revealing a toothy, devilish grin that spread from ear to ear.

Hawkeye felt the hairs on the back of her neck stand on end. His presence was familiar to her… too familiar for comfort….

With the grin still etched onto his face, the man looked down the bridge of his crooked nose at them. His large, crazed eyes scanned them before coming to rest on Kain Fuery. His smile faltered, mixing a slight amount of concern into his expression. "Oh…" he finally spoke. "Is that one dead?"

Remaining true to her training, Hawkeye remained silent. _Don't give them what they want. Don't speak unless crucial._

Unfortunately, Jean Havoc must have missed that day of training. The blond Lieutenant narrowed his eyes at the man and hissed, "Who the hell are you?"

"Me?" The man asked innocently. "Why, I'm the good Dr. Beller. And this," he raised his arms from his sides and gestured to the area around him, "Is my sanctuary."

Hawkeye shivered and instinctively reached up with a free hand and rubbed her neck absently, eyes widening upon realizing the man's slight semblance. His demeanor, his posture, his wicked smile…

They all brought her back to that day just over five years ago…

This man was just like the gold-toothed doctor.

This man was dangerous... and now they were at his mercy.

* * *

**A/N: **_So, here's that new story I kind of outlined a few chapters ago in _Pressure Point _(in which Chapter 12 is about 25% done, if anyone cares XD)._

_To those that haven't read _Pressure Point, _here's my quick spiel:_

_Firstly, yes, this is a Chimera! story._

_Secondly, I admit that I do not like Chimera! stories. However, I randomly remembered this prompt from a long time ago and decided to challenge myself to write something when I'm stuck on _Pressure Point_, or when I'm procrastinating from my studies (hence, the reason this story is now posted)._

_**That being said, here is what the story will contain: **__Royai, Parental!RoyEd, EdWin, some AlMei, explanations of alchemy (or at least my understanding of), angst/romance/drama/adventure and maybe some light and dark humor occasionally. Plus, I want to explore Edward and Alphonse's thoughts of Nina at this stage of their lives. Will most likely contain graphic scenes and explicit language._

_**What this story won't contain: **__Fetish-y stuff (because that's not my style), a bunch of OCs, and non-canon pairings (since I pretty much listed a lot of the canon pairings as being part of the story anyways)._

_Finally, the story takes place about five years after the Promised Day. So, Edward and Winry are married and Roy and Riza are back from Ishval. And no, there is no connection to _Pressure Point _in this story._

_So, we'll see where the story goes._

_I definitely encourage anyone that wants to review to do so and let me know what they think as the story goes on. _


	2. Broken Soldiers

The "good doctor" cocked his head to the side and eyed the recumbent Sergeant curiously. "You know," he began inquisitively, "you never answered my question. Is that one dead?"

"Fuck off," Havoc snapped.

The doctor knitted his brows together and stuck his lower lip out in a pout. "Well, that wasn't very nice," he replied, a dash of hurt in his words.

"Sorry," the blond Lieutenant replied bitterly, "But sometimes I don't play well with others."

Dr. Beller shook his head and sighed. "You military dogs and your pack mentality… It always fascinated me during my service. You never seem to grasp the concept of leaving a downed comrade behind…"

"Wait," Hawkeye interjected, narrowing her eyes at the man, "_You _are military?" The name "Beller" was not familiar. _Is he really-_

"Was," the doctor corrected, his impish smile slowly returning to his lips. "But after the Promised Day, the military no longer needed my expertise; or rather, they no longer approved of my unconventional healing methods. So," he raised his arms once more, gesturing to the area around them, "I left and decided to open my own practice!"

"What are your unconventional methods," Hawkeye asked coldly. "Please, enlighten us."

The doctor shrugged. "All I was doing was fixing broken soldiers. There are so many of them in the military. And you," he pointed at the trio, "Are all broken as well."

Out of the corner of her eye, Hawkeye saw Havoc turn toward her, a bewildered expression on his face. Ignoring the Lieutenant's look, she advanced cautiously. "Tell me, how are we broken?"

Dr. Beller threw his hands up and exclaimed, "That's your first issue. _You don't even realize you're broken!_"

Taken aback, the two soldiers watched as the relatively calm doctor's demeanor began to change to one of derangement and animosity.

"We tailed you for weeks, _weeks_, and not a _single_ indication from any of you that you even knew we were there," he spat with resentment. "We were always there. In your command center, outside your homes… Everywhere!" His visage was inches from bars now, his hands tightly gripping the metal on either side of his face. Eyes widened to the point of practically popping out of his head, he continued his tirade, spewing saliva from his lips. "Worthless, _worthless _soldiers! The whole lot of the military! That's-that's why-" He stopped, as if suddenly recognizing his own insanity. Stepping back from the bars, he clasped his hands together in front of himself and rubbed them together nervously. Taking a deep breath, he slipped back into his "good doctor" persona. "That's why I brought you here. You are all broken, so it's my duty as a military doctor to fix you."

Hawkeye realized the gravity of the situation as the man's words had slowly begun to sink in. They had been in the military command center. They'd been outside her _home_!

Her heart began to race, threatening to burst from her chest at any moment. She and the men had been watched for weeks without even realizing it. Had the General been under surveillance as well? Would they target him now that his team was out of the picture? The idea that they had been so close to him without her even realizing it was nauseating. She had failed…

Failed to protect her family. Failed to protect herself. And most importantly, failed to protect the one man that she had sworn to defend at all costs.

She was so absorbed in her thoughts that she almost didn't realize that the doctor had begun cackling madly.

"I know that look," the doctor exclaimed excitedly, clapping his hands together. "That's the face one wears when they realize their own incompetency!"

Hawkeye glared up at him, but said nothing. There was nothing to say to him. Clearly he was deranged. Everything they would say from that point on had to be crafted with the finest caution, lest they provoke his rage-filled ranting again.

When the two soldiers had apparently failed to respond the way the doctor had hoped, he shrugged his shoulders and snapped his fingers. In response, a large, black-bearded man stepped forth from the shadows, his narrow, deep hazel eyes watching them dangerously.

A shiver ran down Riza's spine. Something about him was wrong. Something about him seemed… inhuman.

He stared back at her, eyeing her down his long, curved nose. No doubt sensing her growing uneasiness, he folded his massive arms in front of himself and drew his lips back in a sneer.

"Anyways, we'll just remove _that_ for you," the doctor casually stated, nodding toward Fuery.

"Stop!" Hawkeye was on her feet now, arms extended, blocking the man's path to the Sergeant. "This man is still alive. You can't take him."

The doctor shrugged nonchalantly, the object of his fascination quickly moving from Fuery onto the blonde woman in front of him. "Well, I was going to wait until later, but I suppose we can start now."

A heartbeat later, the massive man's enormous hand was around Hawkeye's arm, dragging her towards the door.

"No!" Havoc was suddenly on his feet, gripping her other arm with this two hands.

As Hawkeye turned toward the Lieutenant in surprise, an object flashed past her, just inches from her face. The object, the massive man's free hand, was around Havoc's neck, threatening to crush his trachea.

The blond Lieutenant's eyes widened in surprise, and then fear as he began to choke and sputter, desperately trying to fill his lungs with precious air. His grip on Hawkeye's arm loosened and released as his hands went to his throat, frantically trying to pry the larger man's hand from it.

The hulking man seemed unfazed by the Lieutenant's efforts as he tightened his grip on Havoc's throat, lifting him into the air as he did so.

"Stop! Stop!" Hawkeye screamed as she looked back at the doctor. "I'll go! I'LL GO!"

She saw doubt in his eyes.

"Please! Just let him go and you can fix me!"

The doctor's wicked smile returned and he snapped his fingers again. Instantly, the monster of a man released his grip on Havoc's neck, allowing the Lieutenant to crumple in a heap at his feet. As he lumbered away from the gasping man, he pulled Hawkeye along with him.

"S-stop," Havoc wheezed his hands at his throat. "I-I'll-"

"I'll be fine," Hawkeye cut him off, flashing him a ghost of a smile. In reality, she doubted she would be. But as long as her team was safe, even for just a while longer, she'd do whatever was needed of her. Without looking back at Havoc and Fuery, Riza followed the doctor and his crony out of the decrepit cell.

She heard the sound of the barred door clang shut behind her as she was jerked along behind the doctor and his accessory. Over her shoulder she saw a third man standing near the door, this one taller and lankier; though he had the same eerie presence about him.

Turning back to face forward, she watched the doctor plodding along in front of her. After a few moments, she gathered the courage to speak. "The General… is he… Is he broken as well?"

Without rotating to look back at her, the doctor continued walking. "Hmm… I would suppose…" he pondered for a few moments before glancing over his shoulder at her. "What do you think?"

She quickly shook her head in reply. "No… No, he isn't."

The doctor turned back around and rubbed his chin. "I suppose you're right. After all, he knew we were out there. Unfortunately, he sent broken soldiers to do his work, so he certainly can't be accountable for your flaws."

If that was the case, Riza would accept it. Anything to keep them off of the General's trail. Even if it meant convincing them that she, rather than the General, instead fit their brazen, heinous definition of "broken."

Still, if she was going to die, she figured that she would wring as much information from them as possible. "Have you been selling weapons illegally to Aerugo?"

"My, my, you sure are full of questions," the doctor replied, a tinge of annoyance in his voice. "But yes," he continued quickly, "I am. I have to fund my practice _somehow_."

Oddly, she felt a sense of relief. At least the men they were tracking were indeed the ones they had sought from the beginning.

"Of course," Dr. Beller went on, "You are welcome to repay me after I fix you by serving for me."

_Like hell I would_… Riza opened her mouth to respond, but was interrupted by a loud hum coming from the darkness ahead of them. As they advanced forward, however, that "hum" morphed into a combination of howls and screeching. Disturbed by the noise, Riza tried covering one of her ears with her free hand while struggling to break free from the larger man's iron grip. Her attempts, however, failed, causing him to tighten his grip and quicken his pace, practically dragging her behind him.

The screams and howling reached its apex when they entered the dimly lit room at the end of the corridor. Riza stopped walking and squinted, trying to make out the various shapes that were shrouded in darkness. To the right appeared to be two additional men, though it was nearly impossible to make out their features. To the left, where the source of the agonized screams was coming from, was a wall lined with cages. And in the middle of the room was a massive and complex transmutation circle etched into the cement.

Ignoring the fact that his prisoner had stopped walking, the massive man yanked Riza along behind him and past the steel cages.

The creatures inside became hushed as he lumbered by, but quickly resumed their deafening cries when she passed. One in particular threw itself against its prison, desperately trying to break through. Upon seeing it, Riza leapt backwards in horror. The beast's wild, white orbs stared back at her; gnashing its sharp, pointed teeth as it did so. Pressing is hairless, grotesque face against the bars of its cage, the small, cat-like creature tried desperately to claw its way to her, yowling hungrily.

Riza launched herself away, running into the monster that was holding her. As she frantically tried pulling away, the man responded with a vicious laugh, wrapping his arms around her, holding her tightly against his torso.

"What is this," she demanded, desperately trying to hide her panic.

The doctor eyed her curiously, tilting his head to the side. "This is my office," he replied slowly, unsure of what she was asking of him. He slowly looked toward the wall that was lined with cages, "And those are my failures," he added gloomily.

"But I'm done making failures," he suddenly cried out joyfully, "because I have finally cracked the code!" Dr. Beller rubbed his hands together eagerly. "And now I have a new purpose. T-to fix the military. Every last one of them. Then they'll want me back… Otherwise they'll be sorry!"

Riza made one last attempt to struggle out of the minion's grasp, but to no avail. The pieces had clicked in her mind. It all made sense now…

The "doctor" was "fixing" people by taking away the one thing that defined their very being… Their humanity.

Dr. Beller had now turned his attention back to Riza, his sinister, crooked smile spread across his face. "Now, I just need a small blood sample, so please work with me here." Reaching into his pocket, he pulled out a long, curved hunting knife that was caked in a thick layer of dried blood.

"You don't have to do this," Riza cried out in a last-ditch effort, struggling once more against the minion's iron grip on her.

Ignoring her completely, the doctor snapped his fingers and pointed toward the center of the room.

The doctor's subordinate obediently toted her over to the intricately-drawn transmutation circle per the doctor's request. When he had reached the center, he readjusted his hold on her, freeing one of his arms while keeping one arm wrapped around her. Using his free hand, he reached over her head and grabbed her chin, pulling it upward and exposing her neck.

She flinched as she felt a pair of cold, calloused hands push her turtle-neck away, exposing her neck further.

"Oh…" the doctor breathed in awe. "Someone already outlined it for me. How kind..."

She tensed when she felt a light pressure on her neck as he traced the slightly raised scar that ran from her right ear to her left clavicle. A moment later, she felt something cold and metallic slide along its entire length, followed by a sudden burst of warmth. The all-too-familiar pain of having her throat slit followed seconds later, radiating first throughout her neck, then her entire body.

She heard the doctor scream instructions to his minion, but she was unable to make out his words over the pulsing that filled her ears. She assumed that he had ordered the man to release her, because moments after his directions, she was dropped to the floor. Immediately she reached up, sticking her fingers into the wound as an attempt to stop the bleeding. The warm, sticky blood refused to stop, instead continuing to flow freely from the wound like a raging river, threatening to completely dry her body out in mere minutes.

Her wide, frightened eyes scanned up and met the doctor's, whose were filled with sheer delight. He held her gaze for barely a second before turning and barking an indistinguishable order to his right-hand man.

The man disappeared, and then reappeared hurriedly, carrying something large and fur-covered by its scruff in one of his massive hands.

The doctor quickly rushed over to it, blocking it from her field of vision as he went to work. She heard a yelp of pain as the doctor slid his knife across its throat. Beneath it, she saw a splash of blood splatter across the ground.

The doctor bellowed another order to the man, whom quickly jogged over to the circle and abandoned the creature in the circle next to Riza.

Her eyes widened with recognition, then horror at the sight of the animal.

An emaciated, silver wolf lay stretched out in front of her. Its bright yellow eyes screamed at her in confusion as the trail of its blood ran across the pavement toward Riza's.

The instant the two blood supplies met, the doctor cried out triumphantly before yelling one final order to his subordinate.

Moments after the sound of the echo of hands slapping concrete, the transmutation circle beneath Riza and the wolf began to glow a deep purple, emitting a black fog that swirled around her body. Time seemed to slow to a crawl as her panicked, sherry eyes moved upward, meeting the brilliant yellow eyes of the creature that shared the circle with her. For what seemed like an eternity, neither one of them wavered, sharing a mutual sense of agony and despair. Without warning, a pulse erupted from the center of the circle, shaking her body to its core. A heartbeat later, an overwhelming explosion of pain ripped through her body, threatening to tear her apart from the inside out. Her hands went from her throat to her head in a desperate attempt to stop the sensation of her skull splitting in two. The creature lying next to her howled as it writhed in pain. She followed suit, her screams blending with it as she felt her entire body being contorted, rebuilt, and torn apart again. A sudden flash of white light accompanied by a feeling of numbness overcame Riza's senses before hurling her into a dark void of nothingness.

* * *

Riza's eyes flew open as the agonizing pain returned; chasing away the feelings of numbness she had desperately clung to. She coughed a few times, tasting blood in her mouth. Through her blurred vision, she could make out her arms in her field of vision, twitching tetanically along with her entire body. She felt groggy, unable to comprehend where she was or how she got there. Regardless, she felt an overwhelming sense of panic and fear. Wherever she was, she needed to leave.

Fighting through the raging pain she felt throughout her body, she tucked her arms under herself, trying to push herself upward; however, her attempt failed, causing her to crash back to the ground, shooting a burning sensation through her joints. She cried out in pain and curled her knees to her chest in hopes that it would alleviate the torment her body felt.

Suddenly, the day's events came crashing back to her. _The mission. Being taken. Fuery. Havoc. Being dragged away. Yellow eyes. Screaming. Pain. A white hand reaching toward her. Nothingness…_

All of a sudden, an explosion tore through the air, sending fiery red sparks in every direction. The resulting noise invaded her skull, the sound threatening to rip it apart. Her hands instinctively went to her head in an attempt to block out the noise.

A second explosion quickly followed the first, this time closer to her. She could feel the heat at her back, sense the vibrations that rippled through the ground and the air as a result. Seconds later, the vibrations and the scent of hot air vanished, instead being replaced by the smell of burning flesh.

Gazing around in a cloud of confusion, she saw a pair of black boots thundering toward her. The man in those boots was suddenly in front of her, his voice resonating throughout her entire being. But she couldn't make out the words he was saying. Her ears were still ringing from the series of explosions.

Then his arms were around her, lifting her. She couldn't make out his face through the haze, but still, an overwhelming sense of calm washed over her. She recognized the faint scent of a particular men's cologne mixed in the air around him. It was the same cologne that clung to papers that he would hand her after he had (finally) signed them. The same cologne that trailed behind him when she was two paces back like always.

She was certain.

_General…_

Riza turned her head slightly, trying to focus on his face. Slowly, but surely, her vision began to clear, highlighting his features.

However, those features were not ones she'd ever expect to see on his face, directed toward her, nonetheless.

His expression screamed of confusion, pain, shock, and, dare she even wonder... Repulsion?

What was worse, she came to realize as her heart stopped, was when his face twisted in anguish and he uttered those simple, yet substantial words:

"Oh my god."

* * *

**A/N:** _So ends chapter two of my random 4:00am story idea..._

_Thanks for the reviews, favorites, and follows so far!_


	3. Hurts

_Brrrriiiiiiing!_

…..

_Brrrriiiiiiiiing!_

Edward Elric reluctantly opened his eyes and groaned softly. After staring up at the ceiling for a moment, he grabbed the clock from the nightstand next to his bed and squinted at its face.

It was 3:06a.m. _Damn…_

"Edward," his wife muttered groggily next to him, "Get the phone."

"Alright, alright," he mumbled back as he glared at the back of her head, though his look was short-lived. Feeling a smile creep across his lips, he changed his tune. Waking up next to Winry, regardless of the hour, was the best part of his day.

Edward swung his legs out from beneath the blankets and planted them on the floor. After one final yawn, he got to his feet and sauntered over to the phone.

"Hullo," he answered as he picked up the receiver, fighting back the urge to yawn again.

"Edward?" the caller responded almost immediately in a panic-filled voice.

He frowned to himself. Why the hell was Mustang calling at his hour? If this was about turning in his most recent research report late, Edward swore he would kill the man the next time he saw him…

"Who else would it be," he grumbled back, hoping to get the point across that it was _three 'o clock in the morning_.

"I need you to come to Central," Mustang replied hurriedly, "Today."

"What?! Why," Edward shot back agitatedly. "If this is about that research report, Mustang, I swear to God-"

"Edward, please," the Flame Alchemist cut him off, desperation rising in his voice. "I'll explain everything when you get here. There will be a ticket waiting for you at Resembool's station for the 6:05a.m. train. Breda will pick you up."

"Okay, fine! I'll-"

_Click!_

Edward pulled his ear away from the receiver and furrowed his brow, frowning down at it. After a small shrug, he hung up the phone and moved over to the closet, pulling a small black suitcase from its depths. After he had opened the suitcase and began folding and placing a few items of clothing in it, he heard a small creak behind him. Smiling slightly, he turned toward the noise. "You can go back to bed, Winry. I just got called to Central."

"Is everything okay," she asked with concern.

"Who knows," Edward replied. "I bet that idiot Mustang forgot how to tie his own shoes. Hawkeye's probably so fed up with him right now that he's instead come crawling to me for help," he joked.

"But why would he call at three in the morning?" Winry folded her arms across her chest and frowned.

He shrugged in response. "I dunno. Maybe he lost track of time or something. You know how they all are. They've practically been living in HQ for the past few months."

"Well, alright," Winry sighed and shifted her weight from one hip to the other. "Just please let me know when you get there and if there is anything wrong."

Edward stood and walked over to his wife. He reached up and gently ruffled her hair, leaving his hand on top of her head. "I'll be back soon, okay?"

After a confirming nod from Winry, Edward guided her toward himself and lightly kissed her forehead. Drawing her into a tight hug, he rested his chin atop her head and frowned. He didn't want her to see his dread; she couldn't afford to worry about anything right now. She didn't hear Mustang's voice; didn't hear the panic and distress in it.

He knew.

Something was horribly, horribly wrong.

* * *

Roy Mustang sat with his face in his hands, staring at the floor through trembling fingers. The deep breaths he took, meant for calming himself, had intensified; exacerbating him nearly to the point of hyperventilation. Nothing could calm the seething, roaring waves of anguish that swirled within his mind.

He should have been there. He had been too comfortable, too focused on the future, when he should have been focusing on the present. _Careless and reckless…_he thought bitterly to himself.

Still, he hoped and prayed that it was all just one long, hellish nightmare, and that he'd wake up in his office surrounded by his team.

He had failed them, sending each and every one of them into the pits of hell. Like leading lambs to slaughter…

"General."

Roy nearly jumped out of his skin upon being pulled from his thoughts. Snapping his head up, his eyes met the small, dark ones of Dr. Knox.

"I'm done with her physical," the man continued as he wiped a bead of sweat from his brow. "Temperature's elevated, but other vitals are normal. From what I can tell, body systems are functioning normally, but bloodwork should confirm that."

"Thank you," Roy replied hollowly.

"You might want to go in there," the doctor said with a gruff as he thrust his thumb over his shoulder, gesturing toward the door. "Didn't say a single word to me."

Alarmed, Roy replied, "What?! Why?"

"Dunno," Dr. Knox shrugged, "She was very tense throughout the entire process. Barely even finished the physical-"

Roy was on his feet now. Pushing past Dr. Knox, he made his way to the closed door and knocked, waiting for a response. When none came, he moved his hand to the doorknob. Still not a sound.

Finally, he decided to go in, whether or not he received an invitation.

When he opened the door, his breath caught in his throat. Despite knowing what happened, and knowing the repercussions of human transmutation, something deep down inside of him expected to see something different; something contorted and unrecognizable.

Instead, he was greeting with nearly the same flawless features he had always loved. The same long, blonde hair that cascaded down her shoulders and back. The same fair Amestrian skin that her father had claimed was from her mother's side of the family…

And yet, his eyes couldn't help but be drawn to the surgeon's cap that was nestled on her head, hiding a secret that only a handful of people knew…

He was abruptly jolted out of his thoughts when she shifted uneasily, her saffron-colored eyes now gazing intensely at him.

* * *

As soon as Dr. Knox left, Riza leaned back against the bed's headboard and pulled her knees up to her chest, hugging them tightly to her body. Squeezing her eyes shut, she let her head fall forward, resting her forehead against her knees.

Every fiber of her being was still screaming, forcing tremors to rip throughout her entire body. Even something as simple as fabric brushing against her skin was enough to make her want to cry out.

The doctor's exam had been a nightmare. Every time Dr. Knox would graze her or touch her skin during his exam, she bit her tongue and swallowed the urge to yelp in pain. Obviously noting this, the doctor moved more slowly and took his time, quietly warning her before he would listen to her heart or feel her abdomen. But the longer the exam went on, the more anxious they both got.

Dr. Knox had already been guarded and anxious when he had entered the room, completely different from the collected and nonchalant doctor she knew him to be. His movements had been almost mechanical at first, with very little communication and eye contact. She could see his dilated pupils; smell the salted sweat on his brow. Hear the rapid, tachy beating of his heart; it practically threatened to burst from his chest.

He was afraid of her…

The exam ended abruptly after he collected a blood sample from her arm, which had led to a cold, warning stare from her. When he recapped the needle, he nodded his head and muttered a quick "thank you" before quickly getting to his feet and rapidly excusing himself from the room.

She could hear him just outside the door, rattling off her medical record to someone who had been right there. She already knew who it was. Roy had never left after he was called out to receive a report on Fuery's condition.

She found herself wishing that he wouldn't come in. The way he looked at her was unsettling; like he was still trying to determine if he was really talking to "Riza." It almost hurt worse than the pain her body was plagued with. Having those onyx-eyes watching her, studying her like some alchemical experiment; enduring the sounds of his racing heart in her ears.

Hearing a knock on the door, she felt her heart sink. He did not fail her subconscious expectations.

Roy quietly slipped into the room, stopping just as he entered. His eyes were on her, studying her again.

_Stop it._

She looked up, her eyes catching his.

For a moment, neither one wavered; both of them too focused on watching the other.

Finally, she broke eye contact and focused her gaze on the floor.

Moments later, she heard him slowly advance toward her bed. When he sat down, the slight movement of the mattress caused a flash of pain to rip through her. Gritting her teeth and squeezing her eyes shut, she leaned forward and gasped.

He moved swiftly, turning toward her in a state of panic. "What's wrong?!"

She could give him an entire rundown of everything that was racing through her mind at that moment, every agonizing pain she felt course through her body when she moved.

And yet, she didn't think even that would get the point across. Sometimes, all it took was a few, meaningful words to express everything she felt in her entire mind, body, and soul.

She took a deep, shaking breath and simply murmured, "It hurts…"

* * *

"_It hurts…" The ivory-furred chimera rumbled as it slowly looked up at Roy with its white, soulful eyes. "Daddy said… it wouldn't hurt… but it hurts…"_

_Roy dropped to one knee and gently placed a hand on the creature's head, lightly tossing its brown mop. It leaned into it, accepting the comforting gesture. "Where… where does it hurt," he managed to murmur, trying his best to hide his rage. The longer he looked at the creature, the more disgusted he became._

_How could that man have done this to her? To his own _daughter_?_

_What made it worse, though, was the fact that she didn't understand. Or, at least on the outside she made no indication that she understood._

_Seeming to sense his anger, the creature shied away and bowed its large, rectangular head, whimpering quietly to itself. "I want… Daddy," it spoke, trying desperately to form its thoughts into speech._

"_Please, tell me where it hurts," Roy appealed to the creature, "and then we'll see if Daddy can come back-"_

"_No," the chimera growled. "Daddy… now. Daddy, daddy, daddy," it began whine over and over again._

"_Sir," Hawkeye placed her hand on his shoulder, squeezing it gently, "Let's regroup," she said softly as her eyes wandered to the chimera. "We can ask her again in a little while."_

_Roy remained where he was, contemplating whether or not he would agree. Finally, after realizing that the chimera would not cooperative further, he reluctantly stood._

_Upon seeing the man stand, the creature's eyes rose up to find his, curling its lips back into a twisted, hopeful smile. "You bring back… Daddy? And… Big Brother… Ed?"_

_Roy grimaced, and took a deep breath. "I'll try," he promised, forcing his lips to form a plastic smile._

_Hearing this, the creature pulled its lips back further and thumped its massive white tail on the floor eagerly. "O…kay," it responded. "I… wait… See you…soon?"_

_He nodded curtly toward the creature before turning and hastily tramping out of the room. Roy briskly made his way down the hallway, avoiding the looks of countless MPs that were combing the scene. A few steps behind him, he heard another pair of boots plodding along, trying to keep pace. Finally, he made it outside. Reaching out, he found the side of the house and leaned heavily against it, feeling a wave of nausea wash over him._

"_Are you alright?"_

_He managed to look up and meet those concern-filled sherry eyes._

"_It's deplorable… despicable that something like this happened," he growled in reply. _And all in the name of the military, no less… _He didn't blame Edward for nearly beating the man to death._

"_I know, sir," Hawkeye replied as she looked away. "To think a monster like that could exist…"_

_He stared at her, utterly dumbfounded by her response. The fact she thought that of a child was-_

"_A man like that is nothing more than a monster; a wolf in sheep's clothing," she continued as she rested her back against the side of the house, hugging her clipboard to her chest. "A monster so consumed by his work that he doesn't value the life of his only family… of his only daughter."_

_Roy felt a pang of familiarity and regret. A forsaken little girl… victim to her father's lustful pursuit of power and knowledge…_

_She turned her eyes back toward Roy, a pained expression concealing her normally stoic features, "Is there anything that can be done?"_

_He knew that she was referring to an alchemical cure, to which there was none. The science and complexity of chimerical alchemy was far too great for any alchemist to comprehend to date. As far as he knew, any and all attempts in separation had ended in the death of the creature. Regretfully, he shook his head. "No," he muttered in defeat, "there is nothing that can be done."_

_She didn't respond at first, allowing his words to sink in. Finally, she spoke, her words tinged with sadness, "Will they at least alleviate her pain?"_

_Honestly, he didn't know. In fact, with a case like that, euthanasia might be the kinder route. Seeing the twisted form of the child had confirmed that the transmutation was far from perfect. It was likely the creature was missing various organ systems or had multiple organs functioning against each other, disrupting the homeostasis and balance of the body. If that was the case, the child would likely die from the turmoil in her small, misshapen form. And if that didn't end her life, he knew that she would be carted away to be studied and poked and prodded. Either way, the child would lose because of her father's arrogance._

_He could feel her eyes on him, studying him, understanding his thoughts. Raising his gaze to meet hers, they silently formed a pact, deciding that they would do what they could to ensure that Shou Tucker would be brought to justice… for the sake of a forsaken little girl._

* * *

"It hurts," she murmured again. "And…" she looked up at him, her eyes glistening, "I'm frightened, Roy."

Swallowing the lump in his throat, Roy instinctively reached out to take her hand in his. "Riza…"

She pulled her hand from his reach and raised it, painfully grasping the cap on her head. "How can I continue following you when I'm like this…?"

Peeling the cap off, she winced as she pulled it down and crumpled it into a small ball in her hands.

Roy's chest tightened and he swallowed hard, trying to push back his feelings of dread. Despite wanting to look away, Roy found that he couldn't, his eyes transfixed on the pair of silvery, triangular ears flattened against her skull. He noted the remnants of dried blood that still caked their edges, feeling a surge of disgust and anger swelling inside of him.

"Riza," he reached out once again, his hands desperately grasping for hers.

"Don't," she growled sharply as she drew away from him. "Don't… I-"

Her hand suddenly flew to her mouth and covered it as she began to violently cough.

In an instant Roy was next to her, one arm stretched behind her and on her back, the other on her shoulder. She leaned into him, quaking as the barrage of coughs racked her body. He kept his grip on her until the coughs finally ceased.

Panting and choking for air, she pulled her hand away from her mouth and stopped; taking one last strangled breath as she stared down at it, her eyes widened in horror.

Seeing her panic, Roy quickly focused his gaze on her hand and froze. "Oh my god…"

Her palm was now covered with a fresh layer of blood. Trembling, she gasped, "What-what's hap-happening…?"

Roy was already at his feet, rushing toward the door. They needed help. They needed-

Upon opening the door, he crashed into someone that had positioned themselves outside of it. Recovering quickly, Roy was about to push past the unknown until he recognized him. "Edward…?"

Edward Elric stood in front of him, his face pale and his eyes widened in disbelief. "Mustang… What… What's going on?"


	4. Failure

**A/N: **_Quick warning (though not sure if it should be a warning or not…), but there are medical themes described in this chapter, namely physical exam. Sometimes I feel like it's awkward to write and talk about, but nothing crazy here (the most extreme being 'abdominal palpation,' or feeling the abdomen for abnormalities). I figured I would warn people since sometimes exams seem weird, though they aren't weird to me because in my profession we do them quite often. There will be a few more medical themes described in the story (such as anatomy, pharmaceuticals, canine science, etc.,) because I'm a veterinary student and I like incorporating what I have learned into stories. :)_

_Anyways, onto the fourth chapter of _Humanity!

* * *

Edward knew exactly what had happened.

After he had arrived at Central Station, a rather shaken Breda was there to pick him up. Edward didn't even have to ask him; the man told him everything.

Everything about the mission. The lost communication. Finding nearly a dozen slain soldiers. Their stroke of sheer luck in locating their other comrades. Havoc and Fuery covered in blood, desperately clinging to life. Hearing a bloodcurdling scream. Mustang vanishing, reappearing with Hawkeye mere minutes later; his face as pale as a sheet, her face drenched in blood.

He told him about their conditions. Every little detail.

Edward didn't even think; he simply put himself on auto-pilot, maneuvering his way through groups of nurses and past hospital patients as they shuffled along while Breda nearly sprinted behind him, trying to keep up.

It had to be a test. Just one, big test to prove he really was capable of his new advisor position. He'd walk in and they'd all be there, congratulating him on his rapid response time. He'd hate them, and maybe he'd even punch Mustang in the face for making him go through it, but at least they'd all be alive and well and not-

Edward didn't even realize he had made it to the room Breda had directed him too. He was just suddenly there, his hand on the doorknob. Then it opened and Mustang rushed out and plowed into him, practically knocking him on his feet.

"Edward…?"

Edward looked up, his golden eyes meeting the widened, terrified midnight ones that belonged to the General. He could feel the blood drain from his face, most likely matching it to the shade of Mustang's visage. "Mustang… What… What's going on? What happened?"

As Mustang opened his mouth to respond, a fit of coughing from behind him interrupted him, causing him to whip his head around. At the same time, a hand that seemed to appear out of nowhere, reached over and touched Mustang's shoulder. The black-haired man gasped and practically jumped out of his skin.

The male nurse that had approached the pair quickly drew his hand back and softly said, "General, we need to talk to you regarding Sergeant Fuery's condition."

Mustang stared back in a complete daze, his mouth slightly ajar; as if he couldn't comprehend the man's simple statement.

As the nurse opened his mouth to repeat his comment, Edward abruptly cut him off. "Go."

Mustang looked back at Edward, still in utter shock.

"Go!"

Edward's forceful command seemed to snap the General out of his daze. He attempted to gather his words but was stopped when the nurse spoke up again and asked him to follow him.

"Everything's fine. Go," Edward said again, softer. "Don't worry."

Seemingly calming down more, Mustang mouthed a "thank you," before being led away by the nurse, but not after turning to glance over his shoulder, past Edward.

He took his chance to quietly slip into the room and close the door with a soft _click_.

Edward knew the man would be back in a couple of minutes. So if he wanted to get anything done, he'd have to do it now, lest he have the General breathing down his neck the entire time.

He took a deep breath and exhaled. _Don't appear nervous, _he quietly commanded himself as he felt his pulse slow. Turning back toward the other side of the room, he zeroed in on the hospital bed.

Sitting cross-legged and leaning against the headboard, staring down and to the side of the bed was Hawkeye. Just Hawkeye.

Edward walked quickly and confidently toward the bed, grabbing a tongue depressor and a handful of tissues as he went. He slowly eased onto the bed across from Hawkeye, allowing his heavy automail leg to hang off the edge. For a few moments, neither one stirred; his eyes focused on her, studying her, while she continued to stare at the floor, her fringe covering her eyes.

Upon seeing the blood in the palm of her hand and the small trail of it that ran from her lip, Edward's stomach sank. Blood... That was _not _a good sign.

He lifted his arm and extended his hand toward her, offering the tissues he had grabbed. "Here," he said softly, watching her anxiously.

Head still lowered, she lifted saffron-colored eyes to meet his.

_Please speak, _he silently begged.

As if she had read his mind, she gently took the tissues from his hand and dabbed the corner of her mouth before slowly wiping her hands with them. "Thank you, Edward," she murmured, lifting her head slightly to see him better.

Edward felt a sense of relief wash over him. _Vocal cords normal and intact_, he mentally noted, along with noting a change in iris color. Making a list in his head had always felt so wrong, but he knew that in order to make sure he covered all the bases, he had to go through all the steps.

And judging by the look she was giving him, he knew that she was expecting him to follow protocol as well, with her being no exception. She had accompanied Edward and Mustang before; she knew the guidelines and what it meant to fall inside or outside them.

After Edward had become the State Alchemist Advisor, one of the first laws he urged the Fuhrer to pass was the Chimerical Act, which decreed that, unless used for licensed research purposes, the practice of chimerical alchemy on either humans or animals was strictly forbidden. Despite passing this law, however, Edward still found that he was constantly called out to investigate cases the military had discovered; as much as he hated to think it, he felt fortunate and relieved that they had all been animal-based experiments. But he had been called out so often that a protocol was developed in order to assess the quality of life for the creature.

To some, it seemed simple enough. If it was not missing anything vital and was not suffering, it would often be relocated or placed in a setting where it could be observed. If not… the kindest thing that could be done was euthanasia. And even though it was the right thing to do, Edward still felt a sense failure when the latter was decided. Even though he and Al were working, researching, and developing while thousands of miles apart, they still had only bits and pieces of knowledge that could even be applied to separation.

Now he was forced to use this supposedly "simple protocol" on a person; someone that cared about nonetheless.

It wasn't right. It wasn't right. It wasn't fair!-

"Did the General call you," she asked, breaking the silence that had stretched between them.

"Yeah," Edward replied lightly, delicately, honestly.

"I'm sorry," she uttered, looking at him fully now, "that we had to pull you away from Resembool."

He allowed the corners of his lips to turn upward slightly. "Hey. Don't worry about it. It's my job, and besides… Even if it _wasn't _my job, I'd come regardless." He allowed a genuine smile to cross his face. "You two have been there for us for so long, I wouldn't dare think of turning my back on you guys now." It was the truth. He would never admit it to Mustang, but he was grateful for all of the support he received from Mustang and Hawkeye, even after he first left the military (although, only to be back again).

Her lips curled upward into a small, yet genuine smile, understanding what he had not spoken out loud.

"Now," he began slowly, but more confidently, "I just want to check a few things, if that's okay. But if you don't feel comfortable anymore, please let me know." She was comfortable with him now; he did not want to mess this up…

She nodded in reply. Like he remembered, she knew the protocol.

"Could you open your mouth," he asked as he shifted the tongue depressor to his dominant hand.

Hawkeye compiled, opening her mouth partway.

He peered inside, noting the thin layer of blood that covered her mouth, and the two pairs of prominent canines that replaced the normal, smaller pair. When he gently compressed her tongue with the depression stick, however, she gasped and quickly drew away.

"I'm sorry," he quickly apologized. "But I think I saw something. Could you open your mouth one more time?" When she did, he peered inside once more. _That_ was a good sign.

"Do you feel any pain in your mouth," he asked as he pulled the tongue depressor away.

She furrowed her brow, as if trying to centralize the pain, which he was sure, was plentiful. Finally she nodded and muttered a quiet "yes".

"You bit through your tongue, and it's still bleeding," he explained. "I bet that's the source of the blood." Seeing signs of relief on her face, he continued, "I want to check your abdomen for signs of bleeding, too, if that's okay. I know it'll hurt, but please try not to tense up…"

Again she nodded in compliance.

He scooted closer on the bed and placed one hand on her abdomen, the other on the small of her back, lightly compressing as he did so. Nothing felt unusual, he decided. Nothing that felt like misplaced blood, distended organs, or… He furrowed his brow.

Suddenly she tensed, causing him to draw back quickly. Looking up, he saw her concerned expression. Almost instantly he realized his mistake. She had sensed his uncertainty.

"I'm sorry," Edward said sincerely. "Everything seems fine," he reassured her. "It's just… well…" He suddenly felt like an idiot. He'd probably _sound _like an idiot too, but…

"Well, I guess I'm not used to _not _feeling a baby," he admitted sheepishly, feeling his face redden slightly.

His admission seemed to surprise Hawkeye at first, but she quickly concealed it behind a small smile. "I haven't seen Winry in a while. How far along is she now?"

"Six months," he replied, albeit a bit proudly. "She and Pinako think it's a girl, but I'm thinking it's a boy."

Her expression softened. "I'm happy for you two. I can't wait to meet it…" she trailed off during the last sentence, lacing it with uncertainty.

Not wanting her to dwell on the uncertainty of the future, Edward quickly jumped back into the protocol. There was just one more thing he needed to check.

"How about we discuss that once I'm done," he suggested quickly. "I just need to check your…" It was his turn to trail off. _Her _ears? _Those_ ears? The notion felt awkward; it was a sensitive topic…

Seeming to understand, she looked down and murmured, "That's fine," before looking away.

He stood cautiously and stepped over to her side. The triangular, silver ears had remained flat against her head throughout their conversation, twitching once in a great while. From what he could see, they lightened immensely at the tips, changing from deep silver to a light blonde. _Looks proportional_, he noted silently as he leaned closer, moving to brace his knee atop the bed. _The ear canal should be…_

Suddenly, she let out a high-pitched yelp, causing him to leap back in surprise. Almost instantly, her hands were over her mouth, a look of mortification reflected in her saffron eyes.

His mind was racing at a mile a minute. He hadn't even _touched _them. What was wrong? What happened? What-?

His eyes trained down to where his knee had been five seconds earlier, now noticing that the sheets weren't lying perfectly flat, forming an almost tubular shape.

God, he felt stupid. While he was trying to not focus too much attention on one key change, he had inadvertently drawn attention to probably _the_ most sensitive one.

His face was burning. He did not expect that. He did not expect that. He did _not _expect that! "I'm sorry," he quickly blurted out.

Her hands still over her mouth, she nodded her head quickly, blinking away any wetness that arose from the sudden shooting pain.

Edward opened his mouth again but was quickly stopped when he heard the door swing open. Quickly jerking his head upright, he saw Mustang in the door, wearing a mask of exasperation and panic.

* * *

"How's Fuery," Edward asked, finally breaking the silence of the seemingly endless car ride to the warehouse where they found Mustang's team. The young man had, for some reason, wanted to get to the site as quickly as possible in order to examine the transmutation circle; in the hopes that he could try and begin formulating a reversal.

Roy felt his chest tighten. It had been a tough discussion with the doctor.

The blows kept coming…

"He's in a coma," he finally whispered, his words riddled with guilt. "There was a lot of blood loss, and they suspect a massive infection…" He paused for a moment. "And Havoc… He'll be okay. A few of his tracheal rings are crushed, so he needs to receive oxygen."

After a few moments of silence, Edward spoke again. "You need to stop blaming yourself. Did you foresee any of this," Edward asked rhetorically. Roy knew that the young man knew him well enough. He would _never_ send his team out on a mission like that if that level of danger had existed…

Roy didn't answer, keeping his eyes glued to the road. They were almost there.

"I need you to pull yourself away from the situation," Edward murmured as he too continued to stare straight ahead. "I need you to think about this alchemy logically with me."

He could hear the pain in Edward's words. It was a subject he hated discussing, and for good reasons.

Despite Roy not replying, Edward continued. "You could see just as well as I could that the transmutation was a failure. We have both seen what a successful reaction could produce…"

Roy knew exactly what he was talking about. The differences between a failure and a success. Though the boundaries would always be considered grey, there were obvious examples they had encountered throughout the years.

The little girl, Nina, had been a failure; a concoction of child and dog that would have never fit into society again. She died as what some would describe a monster.

The chimera that had followed Greed and those that had followed Kimbley, and had later joined their side, had been relative successes. They were able to disguise themselves and blend into mainstream society, having the ability to disappear into the mix if they so choose to.

Riza did not fit in either of those extremes, falling between the cracks and into the grey area. But with such prominent and obvious features, it was clear that she tipped toward being marked as a failure, at least by the former military command's twisted standard.

The glare of flashing lights suddenly drew Roy's attention back to his driving, making him aware that they had arrived at the warehouse.

The military police were still combing the area, looking for any additional clues or evidence that could be used to track down the "doctor" and his remaining cohort.

The monster had vanished, slipping away during the confusion and mayhem he had caused, disappearing into the night. He was still out there, lurking in the shadows, possibly seeking out his next victims…

Roy stopped the car and put it into park, killing the engine. As he and Edward got out, a few MPs walked over to them, trying to give them a report of what they found. From the sounds of it, it had been nothing significant. Roy raised his hand, silencing them. "My colleague and I would like to take a look inside." Focusing his glare on a nearby lieutenant, he narrowed his midnight eyes. "Be sure that we are not disturbed."

The lieutenant quickly saluted and repeated the command into a radio device in his hand.

Roy briskly walked through the doors of the warehouse, Edward following a few steps behind.

After turning down a plethora of twisting and turning corridors, Edward asked, "How did you find them?"

Still keeping his gaze forward, Roy replied distantly, "Before we went back to square one, Lieutenant Colonel Armstrong suggested we check out this particular warehouse district. He said that he had received a few reports of 'strange noises' during the night, but had not yet investigated it. It was our only option at that point, so we took it.

"After arriving here, it was only a matter of time before we infiltrated it." He stopped to step over the burnt remains of what appeared to be a contorted, hair-covered corpse.

"We quickly located the bodies of four additional men. Finding Havoc and Fuery happened soon after. I left Colonel Armstrong and Lieutenant Breda with them to continue the search for Captain Hawkeye alone," he paused briefly, his voice wavering; a surge of emotion welling up inside of him. "I discovered her shortly after… After I had heard a-" He stopped a doorway at the end of the long winding hallway and murmured, "Scream."

Edward paused behind him, but said nothing. He preferred it that way. Taking a deep breath, he stepped into the darkened room, the familiarity pounding his senses.

The scent of burnt flesh and iron still wafted in the air like a fog. The cries and moans of the caged beasts that trimmed the walls were now gone, leaving an eerie silence in their wake. It appeared as it did when Roy had first arrived there. The burnt bodies of two additional chimera laid in a twisted heaps off to the side of the transmutation circle that decorated the floor. In its center was a large, dried, deep red pool of blood.

The memories flooded his mind, and Roy suddenly felt nauseous. He covered his mouth and nose with his hand and turned away, squeezing his eyes shut.

Feeling a hand on his shoulder, he cracked his eyes open, peering into a pair of golden ones. "Take a minute. I'm going to take a look."

Roy nodded in reply and slowly closed his eyes again, trying desperately to push the memories of screams and blood from his mind.

He didn't know how long he had been standing there, or how long he had been lost in his thoughts. All he knew is that he was suddenly pulled from his stupor by a voice. "Edward?" He opened his eyes and turned toward the young man.

Edward was crouched down, sitting back on his heels, his hands clamped onto his head. He murmured something that Roy couldn't make out. Taking a step closer, Roy called his name again, a feeling of anxiousness rising inside of him. "Edward?"

"No… That's-that's impossible…," the young man muttered to himself, as if he hadn't heard Roy.

"Edward!" Roy was over at his side, crouched down next to him. Horrified golden eyes rose to meet his, pulling Roy back into a sea of dread. "What!? What's impossible?!"

"That-that rune!" Edward pointed a trembling finger toward a symbol etched into the circle, just a few feet in front of him. "He… He-" His eyes widened, as if fully realizing the gravity of his own words, "He used a Philosopher's Stone."

* * *

**A/N: **_So, now things get VERY interesting. I hope that I portrayed everyone as in character as possible. I imagine Edward still having some of his quirky, boyish personality, but also see him being serious when he needs to be, since he is now around 21-22 years old._

_And in case you didn't figure it out, what was under the sheet was a tail. I was so tempted to have Edward be like: "Nope. Nope! Imma let Mustang deal with that" (of course, with a bit more finesse). But I figured it would be inappropriately timed and placed, though I may have occasional awkward humor from time to time._

_I'm going to have a few weeks of exams coming up, so expect updates probably within 2 weeks (after that, only one more exam until finals in December!) I haven't named the next chapter yet, but there will be some action and suspense, of course._

_Anyways, don't hesitate to let me know what you think! Thank you to all that have reviewed, favorited, and followed _Humanity!_ You guys are great :)_


	5. Equivalent Exchange?

**A/N: **_Important author's note at end._

* * *

"He…he used a Philosopher's Stone."

Edward's widened eyes moved slowly back to the rune in the hopes that he had made a mistake. But the same trigonal, blood-caked symbol he saw was still there, mocking him with its existence. He could feel Mustang watching him. Out of the corner of his eye, he could see that the man's ashen face was mixed with horror and confusion. He knew what the Stone was; he had seen it in action before. He has seen the good and the bad that resulted from it. But he didn't understand what it meant…

If Edward's hunch was correct, which he was positive it was, nothing good would come of that failed transmutation.

He should have known. The Law of Equivalent Exchange could never be broken.

"Edward… What does this mean?" He could hear the panic rising in Mustang's voice. When Edward didn't answer, the black-haired man gripped the lapels of Edward's jacket, jerking him toward himself. "Answer me!"

Without casting a second glance toward Mustang, his eyes still focused on the seemingly simple symbol etched onto the floor, Edward whispered numbly, "There was no change in mass."

"What," the Flame Alchemist growled in bewilderment, tightening his grip on the young man's jacket.

Edward's eyes slowly scanned over to Mustang's paled visage. "There was no change in mass, so… Where did the rest of the matter go?"

"Edward… You're not making any sense…"

But he was. He could feel Mustang's grip on his coat loosening as he began to realize the gravity of what Edward had said.

The Law of Equivalent Exchange could never be bypassed, even with the use of a Philosopher's Stone. The idea that one could is simply an illusion. Taking that and the Law of Conservation of Mass into consideration, one must realize that the "product" should have the amount of matter _and _mass of the reactants.*

He should have seen it before. Because Hawkeye did not fit into the law.

Mustang's arms fell limply back at his sides after releasing Edward's jacket. He too stared at the circle, at the damned symbol etched innocently into it. "What… what does this mean," he stammered detachedly.

"That bastard got away scot-free," Edward growled bitterly as he turned away from the circle. "He used the Stone to save his own hide. He _knew_ there would be a rebound, so he mitigated the effect of the rebound on himself by dispersing it." Craning his head up and fixing his eyes on nothing in particular, Edward murmured, "The Truth took more than her humanity, Mustang… It took whatever the hell It wanted."

He slowly let his words sink in. Since the Truth could not punish the alchemist, it decided to claim its fair share from the next best thing… The "product." After taking her and playing a sick, sadistic game of mix and match, It decided what It would keep and what It would leave behind.

The heart beating in Hawkeye's chest may not be her own. Or her lungs. Or her insides. Or anything else.

The Truth was cruel…

"What do we do?" He could feel Mustang's distressed eyes on him again, desperately pleading for an answer.

But he didn't have an answer. There were too many crucial missing variables. _What _was lost? _How _can they possibly match the force of a Philosopher's Stone? _Why _did everything turn out the way it did? Without knowing any of the details, one miscalculation would be devastating.

All Edward felt was a sense of failure and uselessness. He had failed so many times before. Failed to help Nina. Failed to help all of the chimera that have since been. And now he would fail again.

"Edward…" Mustang's plea brought him back to his senses as the man gripped his shoulder. "Please… What do we do?"

Turning his gaze toward his hands in his lap, Edward dejectedly responded, "I don't know…"

* * *

After sitting in a silence plagued with shock and despondency, the young man muttered to Roy that he was going to jot down the circle, to examine once they returned back to Central headquarters. With a deadened sigh, Edward silently stood and walked around the circle, seating himself on the other side, his golden eyes staring blankly at it for a few minutes before pulling out a pad of paper from his pocket.

Roy remained where he was, his thoughts racing through his mind at incredible speeds. But no matter how long he stared at the circle, he couldn't make an iota of sense of what he was looking at. He wasn't the genius here. Turning his glazed look up at the blond-haired young man across from him, he watched as he scribbled down on his pad of paper, muttering to himself as he did so.

Tearing his eyes away from Edward, Roy was about to look back down at his lap in his hopeless stupor when something in the middle of the circle glistened, catching his gaze. After staring at it for a few seconds, he slowly got to his feet and staggered over to it, crouching down and picking the mysterious objects up in his hands. Raising his hands to his face, feelings of recognition flooded his mind.

In his palm were two simple, studded silver earrings, still covered in a fine layer of blood. As he held them closer, he easily identified them as the ones he had given to Riza so many years ago; their small, imperfect creased edges obvious despite the blood on them.

The same ones he had transmuted after saving up a decent amount of silver coins.

The same ones he gave her before leaving to join the academy.

The same ones she has worn since he saw her in Ishval.

And now here they were; a relic of a past that seemed so long ago. A time where he was just a boy with dreams that were too big for his own good, and she was just a girl that wanted to see those dreams come to life.

A simpler time.

Roy was snapped from his thoughts when Edward stood across from him. Weary, golden eyes found Roy's; silently signaling that he was done.

"I've got everything I need. Let's go back," the young man mumbled. "I'm going to call Al in Xing before he moves again," he stated, referring to the younger brother's wanderlust. As he turned toward the exit, he shot a glance over his shoulder at Roy, urging him to follow.

Slowly rising to his feet, Roy finally peeled his eyes away from the earrings in his hand and dropped them carefully into his pocket before starting after the young man.

* * *

As Roy and Edward slowly trudged toward the exit, they heard a chorus of cursing and yelling. Casting each other a confused glance, they raced through the door and into the crisp fall night.

The jeers were louder and more violent-sounding outside, echoing off of the concrete building the pair had emerged from. In front of them was a crowd of MPs, the source of the noise. Edward and Roy pushed their way through the crowd until they got to the center. Before them was a military officer, pointing his gun at an unfamiliar man that was on his knees, his massive arms wrapped behind him and restrained by two other officers.

"What is going on here," Roy blared.

Upon hearing his voice, the men within the General's immediate vicinity scrambled away, leaving only Roy and Edward anywhere near the man and his captors.

"Hello, General," the blond-haired officer with the gun smirked, his dark eyes still on his captive. "So nice of you to join us."

Roy's anger surged when he recognized the man. Lieutenant Colonel James Wilson, the subordinate of the very radical and extreme General David Thomas. Of all the people that would be involved, why did it have to be those two?

"Look at what we found slinking around," the Lieutenant Colonel gnarled as he cocked his weapon. "One of the monsters that killed our men."

Roy's eyes scanned over to the unknown man. At first glance, the man did not appear out of the ordinary. A full, dark beard and mane of equally dark hair covered most of his facial features, leaving only his brilliant green eyes as a defining feature. The longer he looked, however, the more Roy realized that this man was far from normal. Those bright green eyes he had observed contained slitted pupils, greatly contrasting any other normal appearance.

Feeling the General's eyes on him, the man turned and stared at the black-haired alchemist, his lips drawn back, revealing a set of large, prominent canines. His eyes narrowed to match his mocking accompanying grin, sending shivers down Roy's spine.

Tearing his eyes away from the captive's, Roy focused in on the Lieutenant Colonel. "Where's General Thomas?"

Eyes still focused on the monster of a man, the Lieutenant Colonel nonchalantly responded, "He's back at Central HQ, getting prepared to ask your men about the incident."

Roy suddenly broke into a cold sweat. The only ones that knew the "extent" of the incident were his men, Dr. Knox, and Edward. Trying desperately to cover his emotions, he growled, "Is it really necessary at this time? They are in no condition to be answering questions."

For the first time during their conversation, Wilson turned his gaze toward the General, his eyes hinting at his surprise. "Of course it is, General. The sooner we get their statements, the sooner we can track down their 'master' and make him pay for making these atrocities."

"I told you, that lunatic is not my 'master,'" the chimera growled, still on his knees. "I am not-"

"Quiet, monster," the Lieutenant Colonel replied coldly as he focused his attention once more on the bearded man, frowning in disgust. "You are not to speak unless spoken to." He nodded toward the two men that restrained the man's arms behind his back, signaling for them to lift him.

The two men dragged him to his feet and held him there, his green eyes blazing with anger.

"You may leave now, General," Wilson stated as he glanced at Roy from the corner of his eye. "We'll take it from here."

Dwelling for a few moments, the Flame Alchemist noted the waiting prison vehicle and the armed guards that stood by it. "Alright," he finally replied, ignoring the glare of a pair of green eyes, "But tell General Thomas that I would like to speak to this man at the earliest convenience."

"We'll see…" the Lieutenant Colonel replied tauntingly.

Turning slightly toward Edward, Roy nodded and muttered, "Let's go."

The former alchemist nodded in return and began following the General back to their vehicle. However, after taking a few steps past the crowd, they heard a loud _crack_ resonate through the cold, still air.

Turning toward the source of the noise, Roy gaped in disbelief at what he saw.

The green-eyed man was now slouched forward and on his knees. A few moments after the sound ceased, he crumpled into a heap at the Lieutenant Colonel's feet. Dead.

In the Lieutenant Colonel's hand was the still smoking gun, fresh from firing the single shot.

Immediately Roy was in the military officer's face. "What the hell happened," he seethed as he narrowed his midnight eyes.

Wilson raised his hands defensively, trying, but failing, at hiding the smirk that spread across his thinned lips. "He resisted, so I had to take… personal measures."

"What," Roy snarled. "I didn't even see him _flinch_."

"Well, you _did _turn away. Besides, Council's orders," the man replied innocently. "'If any of them are to resist or pose an immediate threat, you may take personal measures in order to protect your safety and the safety of those around you,'" he rattled off, as if reading from a document.

"Council's orders," Roy echoed back in disbelief. That was impossible. He was _on _that council; the assembly devised by Grumman that would eventually become Parliament.

"From what I heard," the Lieutenant Colonel heckled, "The Council thought it best to remove you from the vote this time around. You know, too emotionally invested," he commented, referring to the General's team.

"From my understanding, anything that can lead us to their creator is to be kept alive until all information is extracted. And if there is no valuable information and they're being defiant," he shrugged, "We are to dispatch them immediately. As far as I'm concerned, that's an order to eliminate every last one of those monsters." Seeing the General's expression of disbelief, he went on, fully believing in and justifying his actions. "It must be done in order to protect our own. And if you were wise, you too would consider that order, lest you endanger your men again," a curt smile spread across his narrow face as he flicked the safety on his gun and holstered it.

"You bastard," Edward pushed past Roy and stood to face the man, anger radiating off his body. Fists clenched tightly at his sides, he growled, "The only monster here is _you_."

Unfazed by the young man's verbal assault, he Lieutenant Colonel shrugged, "I'm just doing what General Thomas and the Council ordered me to."

Edward was about to fire back when Roy put a hand on his shoulder. "Edward… We need to go," he muttered as a feeling of uneasiness washed over him.

Edward turned back toward Wilson and snarled, "But-"

"Now," Roy snapped, cutting the young man off.

With one final huff, the former alchemist reluctantly turned away, briskly following a nearly sprinting Mustang.

Once they made it into the car, Roy turned the key, the engine roaring to life. As he skidded away from the scene and sped off, Edward turned to him and glared. "What the hell was that about?"

"The Council is the prototype for the future Parliament. Along with the Fuhrer, they too have some say in military affairs."

"Where the hell is the Fuhrer in all of this," Edward clamored.

Roy was hit with a sudden realization. He had completely forgotten that the Fuhrer was doing one final tour of neighboring countries in order to strengthen their shaky, yet standing, peace treaties. "Out of the picture," he murmured in defeat. "Right now, it looks like the Council has the final say… And I no longer have any power."

* * *

Roy and Edward burst through the hospital doors, making a beeline toward Riza's room.

With twisted, radicalized orders from the Council, General Thomas would have no problem justifying dispatching another 'monster'; military status or not. He knew the man was extreme in his views, but it was a completely new notion to him that the man and his subordinates would be alright with killing for the sake of killing.

The two men froze when a Breda emerged from Riza's room, the color completely drained from his face.

"What's wrong," Mustang demanded, a feeling of dread flooding his gut.

"I-I was only gone for two minutes," Breda stammered as he looked down at his hands, "And-"

Roy pushed past the bumbling man and stopped dead in his tracks upon entering the room.

The bed was empty. The room was empty.

Riza was gone.

* * *

_**A/N: **__I hope I implied enough about the workings of the Philosopher's Stone. If I did not, here is a (hopefully) clearer description of what I meant:_

_*According to a few sources, the Philosopher's Stone does not allow you to defy the Laws of Equivalent Exchange; it merely amplifies your power. And since making a human-chimera hybrid is a form of Human Transmutation, something will still be lost. _

_Due to the Law of Conservation of Mass, if you were to have two objects, each at 1kg each, if combined, the resulting product will be 2kg (as long as no mass was converted into energy during the process). It can be a lot more complicated than this, so we'll leave it at that. Pretty much, Riza gained little or no mass, so the question is, where did the remaining mass from the system go?_

_So now, one of two things could have happened: 1) The matter that was "lost" could have been consumed in the reaction, converting it to energy. Or 2) Anything that was lost is stuck at the Gate. If they were to try and simply separate Riza and the wolf, they could end up with her having no heart, etc. because it may not be hers (and thus may be lost/at the Gate)._

_If you are still lost, feel free to PM me and I will try to clear things up._


	6. Abominations

Riza threw one last, quick glance over her shoulder as she hurriedly made her way down the steps of the military hospital. Wrapping her arms around herself, she hugged the General's jacket closer to her body, hoping to block out the cool, icy wind that had picked up. And yet, regardless of how warm she tried to keep herself, she still continued to shiver.

It wasn't long after the General and Edward had left that she began to feel uncomfortably claustrophobic in that small, windowless hospital room. Eventually those feelings of confinement had overrun and surpassed the feelings of pain she felt in her joints and body; to the point where she needed to just _go_.

She had waited until she heard Breda, whom was stationed outside of her hospital room, leave. Grabbing the General's black trench jacket he had inattentively left behind, she had thrown it over her shoulders and quietly slipped out and closed the door behind her, and made her way down the hall.

It was by pure chance that she had passed an empty nurse's station with a lost and found box. Without even slowing down, she dug her hand into the box and grabbed the first hat she found: a black, unassuming messenger boy's cap. After seizing it and glancing around to be sure that no one was around, Riza tore the surgeon's cap from her head and replaced it with the newfound cap. She'd replace it with a more appropriate covering once she reached her ultimate destination.

But now that she was well-covered, she briskly made her way toward the one place she could really think: Central Headquarters.

She promised herself that she would be gone for only an hour. It took only twenty minutes to get to that… place, so at the very least, the General and Edward would be gone for at least that amount of time; especially if they were going to be looking around.

Just for an hour…

That was all the time she needed to clear her head. To be at a place where she was always herself; doing something that was hers and hers alone.

She'd deal with the General's inevitable chiding later… that is, if Breda even realized she was gone.

As she turned a corner onto the main street that led to Central HQ, Riza was surprised to find a mass of people walking in both directions along the sidewalk she was on. Taking a few quick measures to ensure that her jacket and hat were secure, she advanced, navigating her way through the crowds of people. Apparently it was a busy night in Central. For what, though, she was unsure.

As she continued to make her way through the mass of people, and after muttering a few apologies to people she had accidentally jostled in her haste, she began to notice more and more just how loud they all seemed to become. Once she had made that realization, it seemed as if the sounds intensified exponentially. Those that were whispering seemed as if they were talking, and those that were talking normally sounded as though they were screaming.

The cacophony was only part of the overall barrage of stimuli, however.

Another gust of wind whipped past Riza, threatening to pull the cap from her head. Reaching up quickly and forcing it back down, she tried to keep her composure as a wave of scents pummeled her senses; some sweet, others rancid, and some completely unfamiliar. Sucking in a deep breath, she trudged forward, seeing the end of the large crowd just a few hundred feet in front of her. But unfortunately, also seeing every fine detail of every person before that point.

As if seeing them for the first time, her eyes darted from one person to another, then over to another. Every movement, whether it be a loose strand of hair flapping wildly in the relentless gusts or a hand raised animatedly during conversation, was perceived by her.

The over-stimulation was nauseating. She took a deep breath as she stumbled out of the crowd, eyes watering from the sensory overload. To her right she caught a glimpse of an alleyway. Stumbling into it, she made her way far enough into it to lean heavily against the side of the building. After a few moments, she slowly sank to the ground, pulling her knees to her chest as she rested her back against the brick wall.

Any numbing effect from the cold, harsh wind had long passed; the pain in her joints and body having returned all at once. Squeezing her eyes shut and gritting her teeth, she leaned her head back and rested it against the wall, trying desperately to alleviate it… or to at least stop the overflow of stimulants.

After sitting for a few moments and trying desperately to keep her composure, a noise brought her out of it; ringing loudly in her ears. Slowly opening her eyes upon realizing that the thundering noise was the sound of footsteps on gravel, she wearily turned her head toward its source.

A small, wrinkled gentleman stood a few feet away, his concerned eyes watching her intently. "Miss," he spoke softly, his voice just above a whisper, "Are you alright?"

She watched him for a few moments, unwavering in her gaze. Even in the dimly lit alleyway, she could make out his slightly dilated pupils. Hear the detectable increase in his heart rate. See his brow creased in concern. A heartbeat later, she nodded slightly and shot him a small, weary smile. "I'm fine," she murmured reassuringly, hoping he would take the hint and leave.

The old man took another step forward, his eyes scanning down her and to her feet.

Her eyes followed his downward until she too was looking at her own feet. She had nearly forgotten that she had forgone trying to keep her boots on her feet. Because after she had stood up from the hospital bed, she realized that the muscles in her feet refused to relax to the point where she couldn't touch her heels to the ground. Discovering that walking on the balls of her feet was her only option, she had decided to abandon the notion of shoes entirely.

"Your feet must be freezing," he exclaimed quietly, his eyes never wandering from her bare feet. He went to take another step forward, but was stopped when she spoke again.

Eyes still cast downward and voice lowered in warning, Riza growled, "I'm fine."

He froze, either taken aback by her uncooperativeness... Or in realization that something wasn't quite right. She could see in her peripheral vision that he was struggling within himself, trying to decide if he should obey her wishes to leave her alone or not. Finally, he took a slow step back, then another and another, until he was finally at the mouth of the alleyway. When he paused once again, she raised her eyes to meet his, her expression hardened.

That was the final nail in the coffin. Realizing that she indeed did not want his assistance, he slowly turned away and hobbled around the corner, disappearing into the continual crowd that was milling by.

Closing her eyes and resting her forehead on her knees, she sighed heavily; hoping, praying that this was just one long nightmare.

* * *

After finally making her way to Central Headquarters, Riza slipped in through one of the back entrances, hoping to avoid seeing too many people. Luckily, it seemed that most of the officers were out or in other parts of the building, because her interactions between herself and anyone else were few and far between.

Finding the women's locker room that housed her locker, she discarded her hospital attire and cap, redressing herself quickly but carefully with her spare uniform and rarely used officer's hat. Shrugging the General's jacket back over her shoulders and awkwardly slipping on her extra pair of boots, she departed hastily, lest she encounter someone she knew.

Navigating through the halls of the command center, she soon found herself outside the double doors that led to the shared office space she and the men shared. Pushing the door open just a crack, she slid inside and closed it with a small _click _behind her. Leaning into it, she glanced up at the room before her, a sense of calm washing over her. Despite the lights being shut off, she could clearly see their desks scattered about the room, bathed in the faint glow of the moonlight that radiated through the office's large windows.

Not wanting to sit and dwell for too long, however, she swiftly made her way over to the doors that led to the General's office. Pushing them open, she quietly padded around his desk and sunk onto the bench that hugged the bay window it sat in front of, basking herself in the soft light that flooded the room. Training her gaze on the courtyard below, she sighed deeply. This was home.

Riza let her eyes wander around the courtyard, silently noting whether or not there were any changes in structure, placement of objects, or anything else that could be "suspicious."

After the official announcement was made regarding the passing of the Fuhrer's torch to Roy, Riza had quickly jumped into action, already formulating a plan regarding the safety measures they would implement for the big event. Riza had always been a planner, even though the inauguration wasn't for a year after the announcement. With a man like Roy Mustang, it was good to begin planning well in advance. Most of the planning included finding and disabling any place that could be used as a vantage point for someone that may want to do the General harm.

This area provided her with the best view, allowing her to see nearly every weak spot. She had frequented that one spot so often that Havoc playfully referred to it as the "Hawk's Perch." Upon first hearing the name he had given to it, Riza had rolled her eyes. But she didn't correct him, so the name stuck. So when the General would be looking for her after hours, he'd always check the "perch" first.

She had been so absorbed in scanning the ground below, Riza almost didn't hear the sound of the office's door creaking open. Eyes widened and heart racing, she jerked her head upward.

Standing in the doorway, leaning heavily into his curved wooden cane, was General Thomas. Noticing her eyes on him, he smiled broadly through his salt and pepper beard, matching her stare with his own.

The hairs on her neck stood on end. Despite the inviting grin he had on his face, his eyes were calculating and cold.

She was never fond of him before, merely tolerating his presence when he was around. The man was an expert at making small, subtle jabs at the choice of Roy taking over as the next Fuhrer. The General sometimes didn't catch it, but she always did. She knew that he would cause problems for them once Roy took his rightful position as the leader of their nation.

But now, with her senses in this state of flux, she could see and deduce so much more about him. This man was so much more than he readily projected to the world: this man was very, very dangerous.

"Fancy seeing you here, Captain," the grey-haired General finally spoke, his deep voice ringing in her ears. "It's funny... I was just on my way to the hospital to speak with you and a couple of other men. Looks like I'll have one less interview to conduct there."

He hobbled around the desk and pulled Roy's chair out from behind it, settling into it as if he owned it. The over-confident air about him greatly irked her, though she hid her disgust well behind her blank mask.

Leaning forward,he rested his elbows on his knees and clasped his hands together. "You look like you're doing well," he continued, making his words more of a question rather than a statement. Scanning her up and down, his eyes stopped on her head, zeroing in on her uncharacteristic hat.

"Mild head concussion," she murmured in response to his stare. "It keeps the cold pack in place," she added, referencing the hat.

Seeming to take the excuse as fact, he nodded. "Well, I won't take too long then, Captain. Just a few questions about what you saw." He wasn't giving her the option of backing out.

"There was nothing to see," she responded apologetically, with a small dash of false regret. "All I remember is being taken… the rest of the details are fuzzy."

The older General furrowed his brow at her recounting, frowning as he did so. After a few moments of contemplation, he sighed and leaned his cane against Roy's chair. He slowly stood and turned toward the bay window, clasping his hands behind his back.

Riza tensed, sensing a sudden and drastic change in his demeanor. His over-confidence began to shift and change into something uglier and more twisted. Something deep down inside of her screamed for her to run, but even if it were appropriate she could not; she was frozen there, unable to tear her eyes from him. That deep-set instinct inside of her howled at her over and over again, telling her that this emotion… this "aura" about him was pure, unadulterated rage. It screamed over and over again of danger.

And yet, his face barely changed. Aside from a wicked glint in his eye, the graying, wrinkled man made no other indication that would lead her to deduce what he was truly feeling. This man was a monster.

Staring through the window in front of him, the man spoke, "I'm confident that the General told you about what had transpired." He didn't allow her to answer, simply continuing as if she had agreed with him. "Then," he continued coldly, "you know what must be done."

Pushing back her escalating feelings of uneasiness, Riza slowly shook her head. "Sir, I'm afraid I don't understand what that means."

He turned his narrowed, piercing black eyes toward her, sending shivers up her spine. "Simple, Captain. An extermination campaign."

"What?" She tried desperately to hide her disbelief and horror. "Sir, that's… that's murder."

For a brief moment, he too shared her disbelief. However, he quickly concealed it behind a dark chuckle. "Murder, Captain? Hardly that... It's simply elimination, eradication, euthanasia, or whatever the hell you want to call it. It's ridding the world of abominations that were never meant to be; the unholy offspring of a twisted and demented taboo." Turning back toward the window, he continued, his voice laced with hatred. "Those beasts killed six of my finest men and then some. And from what my men could tell from that grisly scene, they created another abomination," he spat venomously.

"They've declared war on us, Captain, and I have reports that they've infiltrated Central Command; the Council has already given the order. And if you were wise, and I know that you are, you_will_ convince General Mustang to follow my lead. The second something like this gets out to the public, there will be chaos; because, who knows how long it will be before they start killing civilians, killing _children_…if they haven't already done so." Turning his darkened gaze toward her once more, his lips curled upward into a nasty grin. "This is a war I intend to win."

Too shocked to speak, Riza could only stare at the man. He truly believed what he was saying. To him, this was now gospel, and there would be no way to change this man's mind.

That voice in the back of her mind was screaming louder now, blocking out almost every rational thought in her mind. She just wanted to run, to get as far away from him as possible. She knew that if he suspected anything, he would not hesitate to kill her… right there and now. And what would that make the General? An accomplice? A traitor? Thomas would surely twist it in order to make it appear that way.

She was trapped, the restlessness she felt earlier returning with a vengeance.

She needed to go.

Go.

_Go!_

General Thomas was now standing at her side, clamping his massive, aged hand on her shoulder, pulling her from her internal struggle. Without looking down at her, he spoke, his voice low, "Remember what I said, Captain. This is war. And if your General does not comply, I will see to it that he never makes it to his seat at the top. _That _much I can guarantee." And with that, he released his iron grip, grabbed his cane and strode out of the office, leaving a speechless and petrified Captain in his wake.

* * *

Riza had waited until she was sure he was gone before finally allowing herself to breathe again. Sucking in a deep, shaky breath, she tried desperately to calm the storm that was raging inside of her. If whatever was happening to her didn't kill her… then they surely would. The military that she had devoted her life to would cast her aside without a second thought, because now they believed that active military personnel were involved.

And the General… They would cast him aside too. Maybe even kill him. Brand him a traitor, a conspirator. He'd be ruined…

Her heart would not stop its rapid beating, the pulses pounding in her ears. She felt a dread-induced sickness inside of her, threatening to make its presence known at any moment.

She needed to go. But she couldn't go back to the hospital. No. They'd find her there.

But she needed to find the General. That would be the first place he would go.

Despite not having a clear destination in mind, she knew that she needed to leave.

She was up now, her hand on the doorknob of the outer office's door. Taking another, panicked breath, she quickly pushed it open and hurried into the hall. However, she did not make it far.

Suddenly, a hand reached out and firmly grabbed her arm, snapping her back to reality. Letting out a yelp of surprise, she twisted around in confusion and jerked her arm out of the rigid grip, only to be met with the unrelenting, hardened stare of a familiar set of onyx eyes.

* * *

**A/N: **_And so concludes Chapter 6. It appears that General Thomas has some sort of vendetta going. Also, now some tensions are going to rise and there will be some conflict._

_And if it seemed as if Riza was OOC in any way (ex. Leaving even though she was most likely ordered not too), it was fully intended and you'll see why later…_

_Quick fun fact: The way Riza was walking is called "digitgrade," meaning that she was walking on her toes (sort of: balls of feet). Cats and dogs walk this way. Humans and bears, for example, walk plantigrade, while horses and cows walk unguligrade._


	7. The Union Alchemist

Roy sat rigidly, moving only when the train rattled over a rough patch as it sped along the tracks beneath him. Staring down at his interlaced hands, he could still see Riza out of the corner of his eye, also sitting immovably, and staring vacantly out the window she was leaning against.

He had never experienced this long a gap betwixt conversations between the two them. And if there was that rare rift in their chatting, the silence that would stretch on was never awkward. But now, as the reticence between them lengthened, Roy found himself becoming more and more uncomfortable.

It wasn't because he was uncomfortable with her; he could never be.

Rather, he was upset and frustrated with himself.

It seemed that no matter what, everything he said and did came out wrong. Because there was no way, at least that he could see, to comfort someone when something like _this _happened. Honestly, what could you say?

He had already reassured her multiple times that they _were_ going to fix this, one way or another, no matter what. By maybe his fifth or sixth assurance, she seemed to have grown tired of his rhetoric, exuding an air of irritation while hiding behind a pained visage. And it was at that point he realized he was no longer trying to comfort her, because she had heard him the first time; instead, he was trying to console himself.

He was terrified… God, he was terrified.

And maybe that's the reason he reacted the way he did.

When they had gotten to the hospital and found her room empty, they feared the worst. After witnessing what he did back at that warehouse, he expected nothing less than cold-blooded murder from General Thomas and his men. But even as he frantically walked the halls, looking for a flash of blonde hair with Breda and Edward in tow, something in the back of his mind screamed for him to go to Headquarters.

Now, he was thankful he listened to that small voice inside his head.

Because once they made it to Central HQ, Roy instinctively made a beeline toward his office; the one place he could always count on finding her when she wasn't home.

And sure enough, as he approached the door that led into his office, he saw it open, a blonde woman sporting an officer's cap hastily making her way out and in the opposite direction from him. He honestly didn't know why he reacted the way he did; fear, perhaps?

She hadn't noticed him. When he was close enough, he reached out and tightly seized Riza's arm, eliciting a sharp yelp from her.

Reacting to the sudden "attack," she had whirled around, her lips drawn back and teeth…fangs… bared, her eyes narrowed threateningly.

Out of surprise, or maybe a deep-seated, primitive fear response, Roy felt his eyes harden and narrow.

A heartbeat later, however, her face softened, eyes widening in recognition, and then alarm-

* * *

The train suddenly hit a rough patch, jostling Roy and pulling him from his thoughts. He sighed heavily and ran his fingers down his face, silently hoping he could wipe the exhaustion away.

They had left for the station as soon as they had found Riza, so there was no time to rest. But then again, after what had transpired in the past 36 hours, Roy doubted he would ever be able to sleep.

Out of the corner of his eye, Roy saw Riza's cap slipping from her head, she herself completely oblivious to the fact. In an instant, his hands were on it, thrusting back onto her head in an effort to make it stay. This action snapped her out of her daze, causing her to turn and shoot him an appreciative look.

"Thank you, sir," she murmured softly as she reached up and readjusted it to her own liking. After doing so, however, she leaned back once more against the window, seemingly content with no further interaction.

A tight knot began to form in Roy's chest at the thought of the nervous air that would soon wedge itself between them again. No… He couldn't have that. He didn't want her to shut him out…

"Ah…" He began, surprising himself with the uncertainty in his voice. "How are you feeling?"

Still turned toward the window, Riza cast him a sideways glance, saffron eyes peering wearily toward him. "I'm fine, sir."

He knew she was lying. He could see it in her eyes; in the way she was sitting, her entire body stiffened in order to minimize contact with the walls of the train as it rattled down the tracks. And knowing her, he knew that he would not any information out of her unless she offered it of her own free will.

After a few moments of extended silence, he heard a small groan coming from her direction.

Her eyes darted downward to look at her stomach, narrowing when the same sound made its presence known again. Drawing her right arm across her abdomen, she held it tightly against herself, shifting uncomfortably.

Chuckling lightly, Roy reached into his jacket pocket and fished out a small bag of nuts he had left over from a few days prior. "Here, try these," he said as he offered them to her.

"Sir, I'm fine, really," she responded as she shook her head.

Frowning slightly, Roy refused to back down. "It's been a while since you've eaten. Please, at least hold onto them." The very last thing they needed was for her to stop eating…

Most likely realizing that he would not give up, she took the baggie and set it on her lap. "Thank you, sir," Riza replied, flashing him a fabricated smile.

The sudden sound of the train compartment door behind them opening caused the two officers to jump and turn around to face it. Standing in the doorway was Edward, his hardened eyes focused on Roy.

"Hey, could you help me out? I'm having trouble with the phone line," the young man stated bluntly.

"Did you ask one of the employees that actually _works _on the train," Roy asked with annoyance.

"What do you think? Of course I tried. Except I can't find anyone," was the brash reply.

Confused as to why the young man couldn't figure out a simple line, Roy reminded in his seat, eyeing the blond suspiciously.

Edward rolled his eyes and scoffed. "Are you going to help me or not," he asked, his tone of voice resonating with animosity.

Roy's thoughts immediately went to the look of disapproval and distrust Edward had projected when he told the young blond about the alchemist he was secretly surveying. Despite the fact the two had worked on similar cases together, Roy still kept a few leads from his "sources" a secret from the young man, in case any of their unorthodox studies proved useful in the future. After all, some of the greatest advancements in alchemy came from the confines of an alchemist's home…

"Fine," Roy snapped back. Turning back to Riza he promised to her that he'd be right back.

She nodded in response before turning back to and leaning against the window.

Following Edward out of the compartment, he closed the door behind him. After moving through a few additional sections of the train, the young man abruptly stopped in an empty one.

Nearly running into the youth, Roy scowled.

Whirling around, Edward faced the General, his eyes slightly narrowed. "Want to tell me what the hell you're doing," he shot accusingly at Roy.

Thrown off by the young man's change in demeanor, Roy was immediately defensive, "What are you talking about?"

"I've been watching you for the past ten minutes and-"

"You've been _watching_ me? Did you even bother to call Alphonse," Roy interrupted harshly.

"Of course I did, you idiot. According to Ling, he and May are already on the road east to Nippon," the blond fired back. "Now answer me."

"I have no idea what you're talking about," Roy growled in reply.

"Geez," Edward rolled his eyes at the Flame Alchemist. "I'm talking about your uneasiness. Even I can sense it; it's practically tangible," he held out his hands, pretending he was holding something in them.

"Your point being," Roy crossed his arms and glared at the former alchemist.

"If I can tell, then imagine what Hawkeye senses. Did you even take _that _into consideration? It's no wonder she's shutting you out."

Roy felt his eyes soften, "What-"

"Dogs are great at sensing emotions, and wolves are not different; they're practically the same. So while you're over here fretting and worrying, she's picking up on that _and _dealing with her own feelings," he explained, a pang of anger in his words. "You need to calm the hell down."

For once, he admitted to himself, Edward was right. He was so right...

"I-"

Edward cut him off again, "And then to take her to be poked and prodded by another 'doctor'; and one in the middle of nowhere to boot. You're really piling on the stressors, aren't you?"

Shocked by the young man's brutality and concern, Roy found himself speechless. He was right. He was right. He was right. "I," he began slowly, anticipating being cut off again, "I didn't think of that."

"No, you didn't," Edward responded. "But that's why I'm here."

Roy slowly sank into the nearest seat he could find and held his head in his hands, sighing heavily.

Edward crouched down in front of the defeated man and watched him intently. After a few moments of silence, he murmured, "Look… I know you're upset, angry, frustrated… But you're gonna have to be the stronger one this time."

Roy lifted his head and was about to respond, when the train's announcement system chimed on. _"Two minutes until arrival in Arcadia."_

Edward stood up and offered Roy his hand. "C'mon… The sooner we get this trip over with, the sooner we can fix things."

Roy looked up and slowly reached out, grasping the young man's hand. Allowing himself to be helped up, he nodded toward Edward, signaling his determined readiness.

With that, the two made their way back through the train in order to collect Riza and begin what would hopefully be the last leg of this horrendous nightmare.

* * *

After what seemed like an eternity, the trio finally reached their destination at the outskirts of the desolate town of Arcadia: a vastly overgrown patch of forest that may, or may not, contain the home of the alleged "Union Alchemist" somewhere in the massive array of tangled trees and weeds.

Pushing his way through the snarled mess, Roy managed to find a worn, chipped white door amongst the branches. He pounded his fist against it and stood back, ears straining to hear any noise from within. After a few moments, there was nothing.

His brows furrowed in confusion. His "sources" indicated that the man was last spotted in this area around two weeks ago. He had been positive that the man was unaware of any surveillance; but then again, he had assumed that before, and look at what had happened as a result…

He was about to turn away when Riza shook her head and muttered, "There's someone in there…"

Roy was about to respond when the door slowly creaked open. Through the crack, they could see a narrowed, green eye watching them suspiciously. Suddenly, a low, crackly voice erupted from behind the door, warning them. "Leave…now," it hissed as the eye trained up to glare at Roy.

Without hesitation, Roy pushed the door open, forcing back the wary occupant. "Are you the Union Alchemist," he asked nonchalantly as he shoved his hands in his pockets, completely disregarding the previous warning directed toward him. As he heard Riza and Edward enter behind him, he turned his glare toward the doddering old man that stood before them.

"Answer," he commanded more forcibly.

Brilliant green eyes still narrowed at the trio, the man reluctantly replied, "That's what they call me…" Moving his gaze between Riza and Roy and taking note of their uniforms, he spat, "What do you military dogs want?"

Raising one hand defensively, Roy calmly replied, "We're not here for military matters; however, if you want to get the military involved, that can certainly be arranged." Seeing the slight shine of fear in the man's eyes, he continued, "We're here for more… personal matters. And if you choose to help us, I will _personally _guarantee that you will not face jail time for your illegal experimentation."

"Who said anything about illegal-" The man was promptly cut off by a shrill screech that originated from one of the rooms behind him. With a panicked jump, he disappeared behind around the corner, the shriek stopping moments after he vanished. When he reappeared, he nervously rubbed his hands together and murmured, "Now… Who were you again? And how can you guarantee my immunity?"

Ignoring the disgusted air emitted by the blond-haired young man behind him, Roy replied, "I'm General Mustang. I can assure you that-"

He was cut off as the wiry, white-haired man cackled gleefully. "Ah… The Flame Alchemist! To what do I, a lowly alchemist, owe the pleasure?"

Unfazed by the man's mocking gesture, the General continued, "I heard that you have successfully separated a chimera into its former reactants." He raised a brow quizzically, "Is this true?"

Green eyes widened, the old, wrinkled man grinned eagerly. "Yes… Yes I have. But why do _you _care? After all, it was you and he," he motioned toward Edward, "that banned the practice two years ago."

"Like I said," Roy responded as he invited Riza forward, gently pulling the cap off of her head when she stood next to him, "Personal matters."

The silvery ears that had been lying flat against her head slowly rose and twitched irritably in response to the change in air currents around them.

The old man's already large eyes widened further in surprise, then disbelief, and finally narrowed in disgust. "You performed the taboo," he snarled as he cast his glare toward Roy. "I will _not _be associated with the likes of-"

The man was unable to finish his sentence, having been grabbed by the front of his shirt and jerked forward, his face inches from a furious Roy Mustang's. Cold, desperate onyx eyes glared threateningly into frightened green ones. "You _will _do this, or so help me-"

Edward got between the two men and shoved the General away, causing him to lose his footing and stumble backwards. The young blond man then turned to the older one and offered his hand to him, throwing one last warning glance over his shoulder toward the superior officer.

Taking Edward's hand, the older man helped himself up to his feet and dusted himself off, casting a glare in the General's direction. "You know, I don't take kindly to bullies…" Ignoring the venomous stare he received from a pair of ebony eyes, he continued, "But I'll do it. Not for you, though," his eyes lingered over to Riza, whom had knelt down next to Roy, "No… For her."

"Thank you," Edward began, "We greatly-"

"Come on," the withered old man beckoned as he turned away from the trio, waving his hand in the air. "Don't want you to get lost now."

As Roy pushed himself upwards, Riza linked her arm around his and slowly helped him to his feet.

His eyes caught hers, catching the silent warning she shot him.

* * *

The three of them followed the old man into his kitchen, slightly taken aback by what they saw. Unlike the unruly, book-filled mess that would be his living room, the man's kitchen was relatively spotless, adorned with a stainless steel table, chairs, and counters; with the remaining space available being filled with wooden white cabinets. Glancing up above him, Edward saw that the glass ceiling was nearly twenty feet above them, allowing for an abundance of natural light to trickle in between the roots and vines that zigzagged across it. Bringing himself back from his thoughts, Edward saw that they had all stopped.

The man motioned for Edward and Roy to sit in a pair of chairs that were sitting diagonally from the table he had invited Riza to sit atop of. Edward watched as Riza slid herself onto it, sending an unsure glance in Mustang's direction. His eyes darting over to the General's, he managed to catch his response: a small, yet faltering smile of reassurance.

As Edward sank into the chair that was designated to him, the man began to speak. "So, tell me Miss…" He looked to her, eyebrows raised, hoping that she'd fill in the blanks.

"Riza," she responded back to his implied question.

"Riza… Okay, pretty name. You can call me James." Ignoring their wary expressions, he continued, "How long ago did this occur?" Leaning forward and resting his elbows on his knees and his chin on his hands, he watched her curiously.

"Well, sir," she began.

"James," he quickly corrected her. "'Sir' was my father."

Narrowing her eyes in slight annoyance, she corrected herself, "Approximately thirty-six hours ago, _James_."

He nodded slowly, "And… Any signs of rejection?"

She furrowed her brows in confusion. "I don't think I understand-"

"Blood originating from the mouth, eyes, and ears," he cut in, "Multiple organ failure due to incomplete integration… Something along those lines."

Edward knitted his brows together. The man's tone seemed almost… indifferent. Out of the corner of his eye, he was Riza's ears pinned back against her head in a silent sign of dismay. To his left he could see Mustang in a similar state of shock at the man's nonchalant attitude. At that moment, he decided that he'd take the reins.

"None," Edward replied hardly as he eyed the man. "Some bleeding in the mouth, but found it to be originating from a wound on the tongue."

"Bitten through," he man asked knowingly.

"Yes."

"And other features…" he began, wanting the young blond to elaborate further.

"Prominent canines, approximately 1" in length," Edward shot back, "Ears, proportional; tail, proportional."

The old man raised his brows with piqued interest. "Mind if I-"

"No," Mustang interrupted him bluntly.

"Look, will all due respect," Edward continued slowly, "We didn't come here to play twenty questions. What we came for was to see if what you said is true. Can you _successively _separate the original reactants from the product of a transmutation of this caliber?"

"James" sighed and nodded his head. "I can show you… But you can't blame a man for his curiosity. Because after all," he said as a mischievous smile spread across his lips, "it's almost unheard of to use a human-base in a Chimera Transmutation…"

"Almost," Edward echoed back, narrowing his golden eyes in suspicion.

"Yes, _almost_," The old man leaned back in his chair, his arm hanging off the back of it in a careless manner. "Have you ever heard of the Sewing Life Alchemist, Shou Tucker?"

Upon hearing the man's name, Edward leapt up from his chair, knocking it to the ground. "Don't you _dare_ mention that monster," he snarled. "Do you know what he did?!"

Undaunted by the young man's sudden outburst, the Union Alchemist shrugged his shoulders. "No, I agree with you there, _Fullmetal_. I know what he did. He performed the ultimate taboo, and at the cost of his daughter's life nonetheless." Leaning slightly to see past Edward, fixing his eyes on a wary Riza, he continued, "From what I've heard, I just never expected it to turn out any better than that."

"Well," Edward replied as he stepped back into the man's field of vision, "There's a lot you don't know, then." Before the man could interject, Edward gave him an ultimatum, "If you show us now what you can do, then we'll tell you what we know." Extending his right hand toward the man, Edward watched him intently, "Deal?"

Before grasping the young man's hand, the old man offered a quick addition to the deal, "I'll promise, but only if the young lady stays behind while I show you."

Turning to eye the two officers behind him, Edward gained their silent approval. Focusing back on the old man, he nodded and grasped his hand and shook it. "Deal."

* * *

Edward and Roy quickly followed the old man out the back entrance and into the overgrown yard, navigating through a maze of trees and roots that had grown in every direction. After a decent amount of persuasion, Edward reluctantly handed over a rough sketch of the transmutation he had transcribed. The bitter chuckle the older man responded with did nothing to comfort them.

They stopped briefly when James backtracked and disappeared inside a shed, reemerging moments later holding a deranged, wild black cat away from his body by the scruff of its neck. Except, however, it was no ordinary black cat.

Its graying face was flatter than average, its nose bearing a slight semblance to a pig's. A pair of large, leathery wings hung limply at its side, suggesting that a bat was somehow involved in the mix.

Edward tried his best to hide his disgust, but he knew it was clearly painted across his face. It was a "science" he never understood. Alchemy itself was unnatural. But this… this… was wrong.

He was jolted from his thoughts when Mustang spoke, the same chilly tone in his voice as before. "Why is it acting that way," he asked, referring to the still-raging creature.

The doddering old man shrugged as he held the creature further away from himself. "Doesn't like being caged. You have to remember," he glanced over his shoulder at the General, "It's still a wild animal." Pausing briefly, he soon added, "Well, partially. I've got my dear, old barn cat mixed in there, though with the turmoil its mind is in, the damn thing barely remembers me."

Not even attempting to hide his repulsion towards the man, Mustang challenged, "And what else is in there?"

"Bat I found in the attic," James responded apathetically. "It was- ouch!" The old man yelped in pain as the chimera dug its sharp teeth into his hand, forcing him to let go of it."

As soon as its feet touched the ground, the chimera crouched low and let out a low growl, its narrowed, yellow eyes scanning the three men cautiously. However, when its eyes landed on Mustang, its feral growl developed into a reticent purr. Creeping over to a reluctant and uncertain General, the creature stretched up and placed its paws on his knee, sniffing his uniform with curiosity.

"Heh," the old alchemist chuckled passively, "It must smell her." Turning with relative disinterest, he continued onward toward the small, wooden building they had been progressing toward. "They tend to act favorably toward their own kind," he threw over his shoulder in addition.

At that comment, Edward found that he had to reach up and grip the General's shoulder tightly, preventing him from slipping on his gloves and burning the man on the spot.

* * *

"Done," the old man muttered as he struggled to his feet, wiping his hands off on his tattered pants. Looking at the reverse transmutation circle he had drawn on the cobblestone flooring with pride, he glanced at Edward, grinning boastfully. "See anything wrong?"

"No..." Edward responded with a tinge of awe. He had never approached the science from that perspective before... And he thought he had explored every angle. The circle was...flawless. Well, from what he could tell, anyways.

"Now, the reason I chose this particular chimera was because I used a circle similar to the one you showed me." Reaching into his coat pocket, James pulled out the crumpled up sketch Edward had given him before. Digging into his other pocket, he produced a second, neatly folded paper. Unfolding it, he held them out for Edward to compare.

He was right. The circles were eerily similar, save for a few changes; the largest difference being the symbol for the Philosopher's Stone.

Nodding toward the symbol, the man noted, "Largest difference is that rune there. I have to ask, boy, what does it mean?"

Edward was taken aback by the man's sudden show of ignorance. Had he honestly never researched or paid heed to the legend of the Stone? Or was he testing him?

The man's eyes showed no signs of trickery, however; rather, they reflected a glint of curiosity.

However, the very last thing Edward wanted to do was alert him about the existence of such a powerful, horrific object. "I'm not sure," he lied in reply.

The old man watched the younger one for a few moments before shrugging it off. "Well, whatever it is, it completely skewed the results of the transmutation, since a considerable amount of matter was lost. That will be something _you_ need to figure out." Turning his attention toward the Flame Alchemist, whom had been standing off to the side, he said, "I'll be getting started now." He walked over to the General, peeling the chimera, which had been perched on his shoulder, affectionately rubbing its face against his, off his uniform.

Moving over to the circle, he placed the creature in the center. Drawing its legs in closely, it curled up into a ball; its widened, petrified yellow eyes watching them.

Before the small chimera could blink, the Union Alchemist slapped his hands on the ground, activating the circle. A bright light and a screech followed a heartbeat later, forcing Edward to shut his eyes to avoid burning his retinas. Moments later, there was silence.

Scuffing the edge of the circle of his toe, the old man slowly wandered onto it and toward the two small shapes that lay motionless in its center.

Glancing at the General, whom was unmoving, his arms crossed uncomfortably across his chest, Edward cautiously followed behind the old alchemist, stopping just before the middle of the circle.

Much to his amazement, there were indeed two small forms on the floor, one larger and the other much smaller. His feelings of wonderment quickly drained away, replacing themselves with pure, unadulterated horror.

Yes, there were two animals there, completely separated. However, the presence of blood around their mouths, ears, and eyes, and no signs of movement confirmed that they were very, very dead.

"I told you I could separate them..."

Edward snapped his head up to stare at the old man, his mouth hanging open, too stunned to speak.

"I told you I could separate them, but that doesn't mean it can be done with complete success," the man said with a shrug from beside Edward.

"Then why the hell did you show us this," Edward snarled accusingly.

"To prove a point," the old man stated with a devious gleam in his eye. "I've been working in this art for thirty years. Simply said," he turned to focus his glare on the General that had positioned himself at the edge of the circle, "The art of perfect separation is impossible."

* * *

**A/N: **_Wow! So this is where all of the words from _Pressure Point _went… This was an extremely long chapter (sorry about that!). __*****If you're wondering how they suddenly went from HQ to the station, and what is/was going on in Central, know that it will all be explained next chapter, along with why Roy withheld information from Edward**__._


	8. Useless

"Well that was a fucking waste of time," Edward grumbled angrily as he thrust his hands into his coat pockets, trying to keep himself upright as they trudged through the thick forest of weeds that led back to the alchemist's house Turning his hardened gaze toward Mustang, he mockingly asked, "Any other secrets you'd like to share with me?"

Looking up from the ground, Roy turned his glassy-eyed stare toward the disgruntled former alchemist. The young man was beyond livid. In all honesty, Roy shouldn't have kept his sources hidden from Edward. But the temptation of having unobstructed and uninterrupted resources, whether the surveyed alchemists were aware of his surveying presence or not, was far too great. To answer Edward's question, no; he didn't have any other hidden resources, at least none in the field of chimerical alchemy. Saying nothing, Roy slowly shook his head.

Edward drew his lips back and narrowed his eyes, making his resentment of the General's actions even more painstakingly obvious. "If I find that you're lying to me, and I _will _find out, you can count me out of any of your future plans." Turning his coldhearted gaze forward and ignoring Roy's shocked expression, he continued, "I'll stick through with this for Hawkeye's sake, because right now I'm sure as hell not doing it for you. If this is how your time as Fuhrer is going to be, then your reign will be short-lived, and the end will not be pleasant." Fixing his gaze once more on Roy, he darkly added, "All secrets have a cost."

Roy was about to respond when he realized that they were at the back door of the old, battered house. Pushing the screen door in, they quickly stepped inside. If they moved fast enough, they could avoid the old man entirely, as he was still crouched on the floor of the shed, mulling over his failure.

When they navigated their way to the kitchen, they found that Riza was still seated atop the stainless steel table, her head hung low. Hearing them walk in, she languidly raised her head and acknowledged them by raising her brows.

Having remembered his conversation with Edward on the train, Roy quickly hid fleeting frown, silently demanding his rising pulse to fall. Had she grown even paler in the short time they were gone, or was it simply the lighting?

"Ready to go," Edward asked lightly, breaking the silence that would have otherwise followed.

She nodded slowly and slid off the table. Upon having her feet touch the floor, however, she lost her footing and stumbled slightly. Roy was immediately at her side, helping her catch her balance. For the umpteenth time that day, he asked if she was okay.

She responded by jerking her arm from his grip and muttering a sharp, "I'm fine," before leading herself toward the home's front door.

As Roy prepared to follow after her, Edward stopped next to him and shot him a quizzical look that asked: _What was that?_

Roy knitted his brows together and answered with a quick head shake. _I don't know._

* * *

Out of the corner of his eye, Roy saw Edward glance down at the watch on his wrist. "Train leaves at 6:30," he murmured toward no one in particular. "At the rate we're walking, we should be back in town by 5:45; plenty of time to board."

Roy nodded lightly before turning his gaze back toward the road they were walking along. He secretly hoped that a car or cart would pass by and offer them a ride back into town, because as time went on, he realized that Riza was walking more slowly and cautiously, her eyes never leaving her feet. Every attempt at speaking with her resulted in a rather blunt reply, with her always returning to staring intently at the ground.

Then again, maybe their decelerated pace would cause them to miss the train back to Central. Because honestly, he had no idea what they were going to do once they returned.

Admit they'd hit a dead end? Hide her away until her dying day… or until the military finds her and executes her?

Roy pushed the latter thought away. He would _never _let that happen; he'd die first…

Feeling a slight and fleeting pressure on his left shoulder, Roy twisted his head around in time to see Riza straighten herself, her eyes remaining on her feet. It had been the third or fourth time she had stumbled into him…

"Are you sure you're feeling fine," he asked delicately. "We can stop for a few minutes if you'd-"

"I'm fine_, Colonel_," she replied sharply.

_Colonel? _A slip of the tongue, perhaps...? He and Edward both stopped walking.

After taking a few steps forward, she realized that her two companions had halted. As she turned to face them, her legs buckled and gave out beneath her.

In an instant, Roy had darted forward, catching her as she fell. "That's it," he said sternly, "You are _not _'fine.'"

Riza weakly protested, slurring out "I'm fine" over and over again.

Roy's mind immediately went to the crazed alchemist they had just parted ways with and the fact that the man had insisted she remain behind. "Did he give you anything," he quietly demanded, his silent alarm rising in him.

She lethargically shook her head and muttered a faint 'no.'

He panickedly looked up at Edward, who was just as, if not more, confused. When their eyes met, despite the situation, they silently agreed: They would not turn back.

* * *

"Alright," Edward said as he approached the distressed alchemist and his semi-conscious subordinate, "I got two rooms." Showing a small silver key to Roy, he added, "We should probably go in through the back. The last thing we need is to arouse suspicion."

Roy nodded in agreement and looked down at the woman in his arms, who had her head rested against his shoulder.

After hurriedly making it back into the small town of Arcadia, Roy and Edward had discovered that it was lacking a clinic, doctor, or any other medically competent individual. They had contemplated returning to Central via the train, but quickly nixed the idea given Riza's deteriorating condition; she was not prepared for travel. Instead, they opted to find a temporary place to regroup, in the hopes that they would be able to contact _someone_.

Following Edward through the back entrance of the motel, Roy tagged along behind as the three of them ascended the staircase.

Upon reaching the second level, Edward led Roy down the hallway and over to one of the rooms. After the younger man inserted the key and opened the door, Roy rushed in and sat Riza on the closer of the two beds, stripping her uniform jacket off in the process. Once he had gently guided her head down to the pillow, he immediately turned to Edward, who was still standing in the doorway.

Thrusting his thumb over his shoulder, Edward stated, "I'll go get some water and more towels." Pointing to Riza's jacket, he added, "And I'll take that to the wash." Moments after Roy tossed it to him, the young man was already gone.

Turning his attention back to his ill comrade, Roy asked, "How are you feeling?"

Riza murmured an unintelligible reply in response.

Reaching out and resting his hand on her forehead, Roy realized that she was burning up, her face and brow drenched in sweat. He moved swiftly over to and into the washroom attached to their room, grabbed the first washcloth he could find, and proceeded to soak it in a stream of cool water. Moments later he reemerged and rushed over to her, placing the damp cloth on her forehead.

After she muttered what he would assume to be a faint "thank you," he reached over to the phone that was on the nightstand between the two beds and dialed. A few rings later, Dr. Knox's voicemail picked up. He wasn't home. Scowling to himself, Roy realized that he didn't know the hospital's number either. He seriously doubted the region's phonebook would have it either. As he hung up the phone in frustration, Edward stormed into the room, stopping on the other side of the bed.

"What the hell are these?" Edward held something up in the air for Roy to see.

Leaning forward slightly and squinting, Roy recognized the small, strange object: a nearly empty bag of bush nuts.

"It's a bag of nuts, Edward," Roy replied bluntly. "Nothing wildly exciting about them."

"I know what they are, dumbass," the blond man remarked rudely. "What _are_ they?"

"Bush nuts…" Roy began again, trying to determine the reason for the young man's unrelenting animosity toward the small snack bag.

Edward sneered at the man. "Well, there's our problem," he retorted bitterly as he tossed the bag on the bedside table, "Bush nuts are poisonous to dogs."

Roy felt all of the blood drain from his face. _Poisonous?! _He frantically looked down at Riza, whose breathing had become shallower and quicker, tremors ripping through her body in shorter intervals. Snapping his head back up in a panic, his widened eyes met Edward's. "What do we do," he choked out, the fear rising in his voice. "Is there an antidote? A cure? A-"

"I don't know," Edward cut him off anxiously. "I-I don't know!"

"How did you know they were toxic," Roy shot back, the volume in his voice rising.

"Because I gave them to Den once," Edward snapped back. "I don't know… Granny was the one to take care of everything!"

"Well what did she do?!"

"How the hell am I supposed to know," Edward exclaimed loudly. "I was five! All I remember was Granny called the vet and that's it!"

Roy stopped and immediately looked down at the trembling figure sprawled out on the bed before him. He couldn't believe he was about to do this… but there was no other option.

He was desperate.

* * *

Roy pressed the phone receiver firmly to his ear as it continued to ring, his other hand massaging the bridge of his nose. God, this was stupid. He should just hang up now… Breathing in deeply, he began to exhale sharply when the line suddenly connected.

"Hello, Dr. Hendrich's office. How may I help-"

"I think my… dog's dying," Roy blurted out in exasperation, stumbling over the word 'dog.' It felt dirty and vile rolling off his tongue. He needed to remember, though, that he was simply gathering possibly valuable information. _It's just like going roleplaying while undercover_, he reminded himself.

"Sir," the soft voice of the receptionist reached out to him. "Tell me what happened."

"I gave her bush nuts," he babbled, feeling his composure slipping.

It suddenly dawned on him. He killed her.

It was his fault. Everything.

_He _sent her on that mission. _He _acted like a fool. _His _ignorance. _His_ stupidity!

His uselessness…

The woman's voice snapped him back to reality. "Okay, sir. Now what are the symptoms?"

"She can't walk, has been sick several times; I know she has a fever, tremors," he rapidly rattled off.

"That does sound like a bush nut toxicity, sir."

_Of course it does, _he reminded himself bitterly.

"Alright," the woman spoke again, "Now what is the size and breed of your dog?"

_Breed? Human, _he wanted to say, but the woman would probably think he was insane. "…Mixed," he finally decided on, hating himself internally. "57 kilograms," he added to answer her question about 'size.'

"And how much did she eat," the receptionist drawled out, suddenly seeming to lose interest in the case.

"I don't know," he growled. "A few handfuls?"

"Sounds like she has a sensitivity to them, sir," she finally said, the nonchalance in her voice making Roy want to snap.

"Well, what do I do?" He was beginning to lose patience with her, especially with her now less-than-concerned tone. Someone was _dying!_

"Keep her hydrated and resting," the receptionist replied. "Symptoms should resolve within twelve to twenty-four hours."

…That was it? She made it seem as if Riza was going to die! No… He realized it was himself that that exaggerated the situation in his mind. The woman was just doing her job…

"Thank you," he responded, now subdued, as he hung up the phone. Turning to head back to the room from the hall's payphone, he saw Edward leaning against the wall near the room's door.

Brows raised, the blond asked, "Well…?"

"They said that symptoms should resolve in twelve to twenty-four hours," Roy replied dejectedly.

"Well," Edward began slowly, "That's good. Now," he continued with more authority, "We need to figure out what to do next."

* * *

Riza could hear the two men talking in a "hushed tone" outside the hotel room as clear as day. They were discussing what their options were. Both agreed that Central was a horrible idea at the moment. From what she heard, Edward had suggested Resembool as their next destination, in order to regroup.

With the way she felt at that moment, she had no desire to go anywhere.

Closing her eyes and pulling the blanket up to her nose, she exhaled slowly as she continued to listen.

Then, the conversation suddenly changed. Or rather, their words did.

Roy and Edward were talking at the same volume, but their words had suddenly lost their meaning to her, blending and morphing together into a jumble of gibberish.

Riza frowned and strained to listen, trying to make sense of the sudden change in language. No… not language. Dialect? Tone?

However, almost as soon as the phenomenon happened, it stopped; their words becoming coherent and jointed once more.

Maybe it was the exhaustion? Or maybe caused by the sickness she was plagued with. Whatever it was, it was gone.

Deciding that she was too drained to even attempt to listen anymore, she allowed herself to relax, hoping that she would be able to at least get some rest.

* * *

_Riza stared at the vast emptiness before her, trying to make sense of it all._

_Turning around, she saw a massive, grey…door?...gate?... behind her. Frowning, she looked it up and down. A variety of symbols, some alchemical, she realized, and others that were completely unknown to her. One that she did recognize, however ,was the symbol for flame alchemy; one that she knew all too well._

_Was that how she got there? When did she…_

_It suddenly hit her._

_The transmutation circle._

_The crazed doctor._

_The immense pain…_

"_So have you figured out where you are?"_

_She whirled around at the sound of the voice, finding herself face-to-face with a humanoid, white silhouette, its features barely visible against the alabaster background it stood against._

_She furrowed her brow. Was she dead? Was this-?_

"_Not exactly," the creature replied in a sing-song voice; as if it had read her mind. "But close," it added gleefully._

_Rather than play a guessing game with this… 'thing,' she decided to cut to the chase. "What are you?"_

"_Me? Why, they call me by many names," the androgynous figure quipped. "I am the world; the universe! I am God. I am Truth. Everything, yet nothing; all, but one. And," It pointed Its long, pale finger at her, "I am you." Suddenly, It was directly in front of her, Its face inches from hers. With one swift movement, It drove its hand into her chest._

_Riza barely had time to gasp before the silhouette vanished, only to reappear sitting cross-legged a few yards in front of her. Clutching her chest, her eyes flashed downward, expecting a mess of blood and gore. Instead, she found that everything was intact; the pain she expected nonexistent. Beneath her clenched fist, she could feel her heart beating. _What… what was that?

"_In exchange for your life, I took something of equal value," the figure boasted. Its grin widening, It pridefully declared, "Equivalent exchange," as It thrust Its thumb over its shoulder._

_Looking up, Riza looked past the figure and froze, her eyes widening with horror._

_Sitting cross-legged just a few feet behind it was another slowly lifted its head, its blonde hair cascading in waves over its shoulders. Deep brown eyes caught hers, its brows raised in a sort of surprise._

_It couldn't be… That was impossible._

_It was… herself._

_Upon seeing Riza's shock, it smiled sadly at her._

"_What-what is this," Riza demanded in disbelief as she slowly backed away. After taking a few steps backwards, her back found the grey door she stood in front of._

"_Unfortunately," the white figure explained, "You're out of time." Raising Its hand up, it lifted one finger and grinned, "But remember this: Those that trespass in the domain of God _will _be punished."_

_Suddenly, the massive doors of the Gate behind her opened and a flurry of small black hands burst through the darkness, tangling and snaking around her. All at once, they tightened and began dragging her through the Gate. In a fit of fear, Riza tried desperately to break free. However, after realizing that her attempts were feeble and fruitless, she gave in and allowed herself to succumb to the darkness that had set in._

_As the Gate doors began to close, the last thing she saw through them was the copy. Its sad brown eyes locked on hers, it murmured, "Hurry back," before the doors slammed shut._

* * *

Roy slowly opened his eyes and blinked, trying to chase the bleariness that had set in away. A moment later, he quietly hissed to himself and squeezed them shut, effectively blocking out the sunlight that poured through the motel room's window. He took a few seconds to process, trying to remember where he was.

That's right… They were still in Arcadia. After his "chat" with Edward, Roy had slipped back into the room to attend to Riza, only to find that she had fallen asleep.

For a majority of the night he remained awake, keenly focusing all of his senses on her. At times when her breathing became painstakingly shallow, he slowly crept over to the edge of her bed and knelt there, leaning against it in order to monitor her breathing. Finally, during the last time, he had found that he had fallen asleep. After waking up with his arms folded atop the bed and his head upon his arms, he slowly slinked away from the bed and crawled into his own. In the event that she did wake up, he quietly assumed that she'd want the space. Despite fighting long and hard against the urge to sleep, he eventually surrendered and succumbed to it.

His thoughts once again going to Riza, he made an attempt to roll over in order to see her, but found that a slight pressure against his back prevented him from doing so. Baffled by the presence, he slowly turned his head to look over his shoulder, only to find a certain blonde curled up next to him; her back pressed against his own.

Moving cautiously and at a snail's pace, Roy slowly pulled away and navigated himself around so that he was now facing her back. He watched her for a few moments, praying that his movements didn't cause her to awaken.

She didn't stir; her side rising and falling with every slow, deep breath she took.

He kept his gaze on her for a moment longer, taking in her features. In this light, her blonde hair seemed to give off a radiant glow. Seeing his, he couldn't help but smile slightly. Their orientation was nearly the same as when he had awoken first after that fateful night in Ishval…

Except it wasn't, he now realized. Because then there was happiness, love, and hell, even reckless abandon. And now there were feelings of fear and the potential for loss in the forefront of his mind.

No, he decided; it was _nothing _like Ishval.

Suddenly, a slight movement caught his eye. Slowly shifting his gaze upward, he saw her ear twitch ever so slightly. Staring at it curiously, he watched as it twitched again. He hadn't seen them that closely yet. Had they been on something else, he would even go as far as describe their details as "masterfully crafted" in terms of alchemy. But on her... Using that description felt so wrong. She wasn't "art." She was a human being...

It only took him a few additional seconds to realize that the ear's fluttering was coinciding with every breath he took. Grasping this realization, he attempted to swallow the inevitable next breath he was about to release, resulting in a soft fit of coughs.

His attempts at trying to remain silent had failed.

Aroused from her sleep, Riza rolled over. Upon realizing that Roy was next to her, her saffron eyes locked on his and narrowed as a result of her confusion. "Sir," she croaked, her voice still waking up with her, "What are you doing?"

Unsure of how to answer, Roy didn't. And it turns out, he didn't even have to.

Her eyes widened in realization and she bolted upright, resulting in a wave of dizziness. Reaching up, she slapped her forehead with her hand and muttered something under her breath.

Sitting up along with her in concern, Roy asked, "Are you alright?" He knew that the question was horribly over-asked, but he didn't care. Something possessed her to seek comfort in him during the night and he desperately wanted to know why.

"I'm fine," she quietly shot back. "I'm…" she trailed off, her eyes gazing distantly ahead. After what appeared to be an internal struggle within herself, she gave in and let out a shaky sigh. "…Not." Taking a deep breath, she continued, "I'm angry, Roy… Angry and confused and hurting." She hung her head as if defeated. "But most of all… I'm terrified."

Looking down at her hands, she said, "I'm afraid of dying. It's stupid, it's selfish, but there's so much for left for us to accomplish. I made a promise to you and…" She stopped when she noticed her hands trembling and chuckled bitterly. "I can't even keep my emotions straight; frightened by a ridiculous nightmare. It seemed so real…"

Without Roy needing to pry or ask, she slowly eased her way into explaining it, perhaps out of desperation for comfort or out of fear; one thing was certain though: Roy would wholeheartedly listen, because right now she was allowing herself to open up.

As she trudged on, recounting every last detail, Roy felt a wave of sickness wash over him.

Her description was far too detailed and familiar to be a dream, nightmare, night terror. The vividness in which she described it left him feeling cold and numb.

He hadn't even realized that she had finished her tale, too consumed in an internal state of realization and dread.

It confirmed his deep-seated theory; one he hoped and prayed wouldn't be true. Edward made it clear that it was entirely possible something else could be taken.

Besides taking her humanity, it took the one thing that she used to guide herself and her decisions. The one thing that she put into everything she did; what she _lived _by.

The Truth took the one thing that defined her as 'Riza Hawkeye': Her heart.

* * *

**A/N: **_And so ends Chapter 8. I hope you guys didn't mind the slight bit of dark humor I threw in there (hopefully it didn't border 'crack fiction.')._

_Make sure you keep Riza's actions and words in this chapter in the back of your minds... they're important._

_**Fun fact!**__: 'Bush nuts' is another name for 'macadamia nuts.' I renamed them since 'macadamia' is a pretty specific name (originating from Australia, might I add!). But the symptoms Riza displayed (loss of leg function, tremors, sickness, fever, severe lethargy) are all signs of macadamia nut toxicity. Interestingly, no one knows what exactly in the nuts causes toxicity. Other foods that cause toxicity in canines are: chocolate, alcohol, grapes/raisins, caffeine, yeast, avocados, and xylitol (in gum). _

_Finally, thank you to all that have favorited, followed, and reviewed _Humanity_! Feel free to give me any feedback (especially if you feel that the characters are OOC!). I apologize for not responding to reviews like I said I would… Studying for Microbiology consumed my life this weekend! I promise to keep up this time…_


	9. Eighty-Eight

"Are you absolutely positive?"

"Yes," Roy answered with a slight tinge of annoyance in his voice. It had been the fifth time the young man had asked that very question.

Edward scratched his chin in ponderance, escaping into deep thought once again, no doubt troubled by Riza's "dream."

Roy watched Edward for a few moments, studying him. The young man looked downright exhausted, the darkness under his eyes evident in the well-lit hallway. When Roy had asked him if he had slept at all, Edward had shrugged and noted that it had been late before he finally went to sleep. Having known the young man for nearly nine years now, Roy knew that that meant, at the earliest, four or five in the morning.

"Did she say anything else," Edward asked, breaking Roy's train of thought.

Roy shook his head despondently. "No… But if she had I would have told you. After that she excused herself to go and shower off." He felt that he didn't need to elaborate on the fact that the reason she wanted to was because she still felt as if she was covered in blood…

Edward reluctantly grunted and nodded, obviously not thrilled by Roy's recounting of their most recent development. After thinking for a few moments, he added slowly, "Well, I guess that doesn't necessarily change things _too _much." Looking Roy square in the eye, he continued, "I still want us to stop in Resembool. I have a few Xersian scripts that I've partially translated; I _think_there could be something in them we could use. If not, I have another idea."

Roy raised his brow in response, expecting the young man to continue.

Edward shook his head slowly. "I can't say what I'm thinking yet until I talk to Al. I don't want to get your hopes up if it isn't plausible."

Roy couldn't help but frown in response. He wouldn't at least run it by him? Then again, he could have sworn that he saw a hint of defiance in the young man's eyes, as if taunting him and declaring that he also had a few secrets up his sleeve. He silently admitted that the tension between them was palpable ever since leaving the old alchemist's house…

However, Roy quickly pushed the thought away. He wouldn't allow himself to subconsciously wage war with the young man. He knew that Edward was their only valuable resource at this moment. To try and push him would be too risky.

…And Edward wouldn't keep that information to himself, right?

Finally, Roy nodded in reply. For the time being, he would follow Edward's lead.

Clearing his throat and awkwardly shifting his weight from foot to foot, Edward mumbled something about packing and getting ready to go.

Roy acknowledged him by agreeing, saying that he had to make one quick phone call to Central before they would leave.

"Alright," Edward stated. "Just be ready in about an hour." And with that the former alchemist turned on his heels and thrust his hands into his pockets, making his way down the hallway and toward his room.

Roy watched after him for a few moments before rotating back to his room's door and opening it, stepping inside. He could still hear the water running, signaling to him that Riza was still in the shower.

He quietly made his way over to and picked up the phone's receiver, collapsing heavily onto his bed as he began to dial. Holding the earpiece to his ear, he heard it ring a few times before a woman finally answered, asking for his name and the reason for his call.

After giving her his information, and noting that the nature of his call was urgent, the receptionist quickly transferred him to his own office.

By the second ring, he heard a familiar voice answer. "_Heymans Breda_."

"Lieutenant, it's Mustang," Roy answered authoritatively. "What's our status?"

Breda paused for a moment before slowly continuing, "_Well, sir, Havoc is doing well. Still on oxygen, but has enough stamina to be speaking, or rather, asking._

"_Fuery is out of the red, but is still out cold. They need an additional two liters of blood before they do anything else. Said the infection is under control too_."

Roy couldn't help but sigh in relief. At least, for the time being, that was one last thing he needed to worry about. "Good. For now I think it's best to keep things between us. No need to stress them out," he added.

"_Agreed_," Breda said before pausing. After a few beats, he quietly asked, "_How's she doing?_"

Roy felt a slight twinge of pain in his chest. Even if he was going to be coding the remainder of this call, he still didn't feel the desire to talk about Riza's condition. Still, he knew that his Lieutenant was anxiously awaiting _some_ form of news.

"She's…doing well," Roy began. "We're lucky to have contacted her great-aunt on such short notice. You remember the one; the one with the red coat?"

"_Yeah_," he heard Breda say, understanding that their conversation was now covert. "_Good thing you thought of her on our way over to HQ._ _How long will she be staying?"_

"Not sure," Roy answered shortly when he heard the shower suddenly stop running. "But I'll be there for a while as well."

No doubt hearing Roy's sudden change in tone, Breda ended by saying, "_Well, tell her I say 'hello' and that Hayate and I are best buds now-_" Roy couldn't help but smile slightly at that. "_-And, sir?"_

"Yes, Lieutenant?"

"_I wanted to let you know that I'm still trying to find that paperwork you asked for a few days ago. Fuery must have hidden it well."_

His miniscule smile turned into a frown. "Understood. Just keep me updated."

"_Roger," _Breda replied before he hung up the line.

Staring down at the phone in his hand, Roy felt his frown grow. Breda had certainly made it clear. The files on this mysterious "Dr. Beller" were long gone, if there were any to begin with. Now they were left wondering just who this man was.

However, at that moment Roy didn't have too long to ponder, because he was abruptly pulled from his thoughts by a loud gasp that originated from the bathroom.

* * *

Reaching into the shower and holding her hand under the running water, Riza decided that it had warmed enough. Quickly disrobing and avoiding looking into the mirror entirely, she slipped inside and into the showerhead's spray. After silently willing her still quaking knees to stop, she straightened her legs and allowed her shoulders to relax. But despite standing under the direct flow of water, Riza knew that what she really wanted to wash away could not be by mere soap and water. Wrapping her arms tightly around herself, she bowed her head and sighed heavily.

She felt dirty.

Violated.

Defiled.

She awkwardly licked her lips, mixing a taste of bitterness and resent into the aftertaste of raw iron that was already present.

That "doctor" had done this; made her into this…abomination.

Saying that she hated him would be saying it too lightly. She loathed him, abhorred him, despised him… In the darkest corners of her mind, she secretly wanted and hoped for nothing more than to see that man dead… And if it were by her hand, it would be a plus.

Taking a ragged and deep breath, she buried her face in her hands and stood motionlessly, letting the water cascade over her head and shoulders. _They_ responded by flattening themselves against her head in an effort to block out the spray of water. This caused her to shudder severely. She wanted nothing more than to scream and cry, anything to express the anger and resent she felt.

But that just wasn't who she was. Besides, Roy and Edward had been nothing but strong for her.

She couldn't give up if they wouldn't. Riza was feeling far too harshly now to quit.

_Hah_, if Roy could hear her thoughts now, he'd wonder just who she was. Hell, she surprised herself with the amount of animosity she felt. But still, she couldn't help but feel that it was slightly justified…

And in that thought she turned her attention to the General. She immediately chastised herself for her actions, taking out her frustrations on him with harsh words and looks. Riza knew that he was trying all that he could to help, but he was just as clueless as she was. She didn't blame him at all for his actions or mistakes.

Now that she had time to think about it, however, she found that she couldn't even remember _why _she had lashed out at him. She knew that he had made a few minor mistakes, because who didn't? But thinking back, she found that the little instances that had caused a tinge of anger or annoyance had blended together in the light haze that slowly seemed to be setting in on her mind. Maybe 'haze' wasn't the best word to describe it… Fog? Cloud? Regardless, she found that the longer she tried to piece together the events and actions of everyone involved in the last two days or so, the more that it became jumbled and misplaced, not too unlike Edward and Roy's words from the night before…

At the very least she remembered snapping at him when they had first found her at Central Headquarters. After everything she had witnessed and heard from General Thomas, Roy had immediately honed his concerns in on _her_, when she believed that he needed to be focused on himself and _his _own hide. Looking back at it, she realized how incredibly foolish that seemed. Looking back, she knew that he was only looking out for her. After all, he wasn't the one being hunted by the military… yet.

And then there was the fiasco that was her somehow making it across the room and into his bed. Embarrassing could not begin to describe it. For this "mission" they were subordinate and superior; she had _no _right to seek comfort in him like that, even if it was to fulfill a subconscious desire to feel the warmth his back against her own. Seeking comfort for something that she knew deep down was no nightmare…

By that time the water had grown cold and the thoughts swimming in her head had begun to jumble again, causing her head to throb and ache. So for now, she decided, she would take it one step at a time; keep moving forward.

Shutting the water off, she stepped briskly out of the shower and grabbed the towel nearest her, hugging it tightly around herself. But after a few moments, the cool air that began to set in began nipping at her fingertips and toes, forcing her to seek out her neatly stacked pile of clothing. After finding her pants and slipping them on, she froze. Surely it had been a figment of her imagination…

A moment later, however, it happened again; something ever-so-lightly brushed against the back of her knee. It took every ounce of self-discipline to not become nauseas with realization.

From what Dr. Knox had said the nerves had migrated, which would explain her painful overreaction to the accidental placement of Edward's knee on her hospital bed; it seemed to him that the muscles had not moved along with the nerve fibers. But from the looks of it, he had been sorely mistaken, because that time _it _had moved on its own.

Indeed, it took every bit of her willpower to _not _react. But she needed to keep reminding herself of her resolve: keep moving forward, don't stop…

With that in mind, she quickly grabbed her balled up shirt and began smoothing it out when something red that had reflected in the mirror caught her eye. She knew that it was the deep red ink of the tattoo that adorned her back. This time, however, it seemed different.

Glancing over her shoulder, her eyes widened in realization, forcing an audible gasp to escape her lips.

Within moments she heard a set of heavy footsteps making their way toward the bathroom door. She instinctively held her shirt against her body, covering whatever she hadn't clothed. A heartbeat later the door flew open, revealing a disheveled and worried Roy Mustang.

For a split second she felt at ease, silently thanking him for making an appearance. However, that ease quickly dispersed, giving way to a feeling of anxiousness as she watched his eyes drift from her to the reflection of her back in the mirror.

She too looked back over her shoulder, as if to verify again what they were seeing. And indeed it was as she first had seen it.

The large, disfiguring tattoo was no longer an elaborate array of alchemical formulas and ancient words. Instead, the once, dare she say "beautiful?" array had become greatly distorted, the writings, letters, and columns rippled like waves across the skin on her back. The circle itself no longer had a shape that could be described simply, becoming a configuration of jagged and curved lines that now seemed to consume the remainder of available space. And finally, the small salamander that completed the array seemed to have grown, its small body becoming narrow and slender like a serpent's, snaking its way up from the center of her lower back to her left shoulder and replacing the burn scars that were now absent.

Slowly turning back to face the General, Riza found that his eyes were still on the array, drinking in its now mangled appearance. She watched him for a few additional moments until he blinked, focusing his attention on her once more.

Since the incident, she had tried to think of one good thing that could possibly come of it. And now, ironically, she has: the array was completely destroyed, unreadable. Trying her best to smile at and ease him, she murmured, "At least something _good_ has come of this…"

* * *

"_I have given you _everything_ that you requested, "Doctor," and this is how you repay me?!"_

Dr. Beller held the phone receiver away from his ear in order to quiet the other man's tirade. After a few moments, the line was silent. Pressing it back against his ear, he nervously stated, "I-I know, sir. But you saw the result, the Stone didn't-"

"_I know what I saw and there was _no _indication that the Stone worked. If this was anyone other than the Hawk's Eye, I would have drawn my gun and killed her on the spot. Do you know how long it took me to get my hands on it; only for you to 'use it up' in one go?!"_

"Sir-"

"_There will be no excuses," _the low, gravelly voice spat, cutting the doctor off. _"I will give you once last chance, _Beller. _I just contacted Arcadia's station and there were indeed three adults, two men and one woman, that boarded the train bound for Resembool. Their descriptions perfectly match those of the Flame Alchemist, Captain Riza Hawkeye, and the Fullmetal Alchemist. No doubt they are bound for the Fullmetal Alchemist's hometown._

"_Now, your task is simple… I want you to simply go and retrieve Number Eighty-eight and bring her back alive. Kill anyone else you need to, except for the Flame Alchemist. He is still of use to me."_

"But sir, Fullmetal-"

"_-Is an alchemist no more," _the man on the other end of the line shot back agitatedly. _"Just bring her back, spare the Flame Alchemist, and slaughter the rest; I don't care!" _Before hanging up, the man added darkly, _"You have three days, Beller; and if you should fail, I will personally guarantee that your end will not be pleasant."_

Click.

Slowly pulling the receiver from his ear and staring down at it, the crazed doctor blinked a few times, taking in his employer's words. After letting them sink in for a moment, he turned to the two large figures that stood over his shoulder. "Well," he growled deeply, "You heard the man. We've three days… And there are to be _no _mistakes."

* * *

General Thomas slowly hung up the phone's receiver, leaving his hand on it in the hopes that it would calm his trembling hand. But the constant reminder of the sheer incompetence that seemed to surround him only enraged him more.

Upon hearing a knock at his door, he pulled his hand away and balled it into a fist, resting it atop his desk. Clearing his throat, he addressed his visitor, beckoning them to come in.

The door to his office slowly creaked open, revealing Lieutenant Colonel Wilson. Raising his right hand in salute, he noted, "Sorry sir, but I couldn't help but overhear your displeasure. I wanted to come and offer any assistance you may need."

Relaxing his shoulders slightly, the General shook his head. "At ease, Lieutenant Colonel." Leaning forward and lacing his fingers together, he challenged, "What did you overhear?"

Dropping his salute, Wilson stated, "Nothing really, sir. I simply overheard the tone of your voice, and thus came to investigate. But there is nothing for me to do; I can be on my way."

General Thomas chuckled lightly. "I appreciate the gesture, Lieutenant Colonel, but there is no need. I was simply demonstrating my dissatisfaction with one of our suppliers. You see, he was supposed to deliver eighty-eight goods to me, but has failed to produce a single order. But," he added cryptically, "I think that number eighty-eight is the charm, if you know what I mean."

"Yes… of course, sir," Wilson agreed unsurely as he dipped his head toward his superior officer. "Now, if you'll excuse me, I'm just going to finish up the remainder of this paperwork."

Thomas nodded slightly. "Alright, thank you Lieutenant Colonel."

"No problem, sir," the dark-eyed man responded before he saluted again and left, closing the door behind him.

The General waited for a few moments as he listened to his subordinate's fading footsteps before finally allowing the self-satisfied smirk he had been hiding to shine through.

* * *

**A/N: **_Wow! It's been a month since I last updated! So here is the new chapter. Hope you enjoyed._

_Quick note: __**Ah! General Thomas?! But I-, he-, what?! **__…Exactly ;)_

_To be honest in the month I didn't update, I had considered abandoning the story. But then I had an idea and very slightly tweaked the path that it is on. So, while the possibility is still there, I am at least going to give it a few more chapters before deciding if I am going to drop it or not._

_But for now, thank you to all that have favorited, reviewed, and followed _Humanity! _I'm quite surprised and flattered to note that it is on the same track as _Pressure Point _in terms of number of follows by the ninth chapter. However, I know the two stories are completely different, so I don't necessarily expect the track to be the same. Regardless, thank you!_

_Finally, next chapter will have Royai, Edwin, and some action. If I post the next three chapters, they will pick up the pace immensely in order to go into the final two arcs, so I'm expecting this fic to be no longer than 20-25 chapters, depending on how I split it up. But we shall see…_


	10. Blood

A sense of relief washed over the trio as the Rockbell residence came into view. After a long day of travel, the idea that they would finally be able to sit down and relax was welcoming.

Well… That and the notion that Riza might be able to get some time to herself.

Because after her pathetic attempt at trying to find light in the situation, she discovered that her bid had fallen short with Roy. After an awkward and stammered out "yeah," Roy had grown quiet, remaining so for the remainder of the trip.

Maybe it was because he understood something that she didn't? But he would tell her that… wouldn't he?

The longer she thought about it, the more she second-guessed herself; and the more her thoughts and feelings became distorted, the worse the "fog" that had settled in her mind became...

And that, she soon realized, had become dangerous.

Silence on his end soon led to silence on hers, which allowed her time to think about other things... Things she didn't _want_ to think about.

She knew that there were times when he wanted to talk to her; she could feel his eyes on her at times during the train ride. The instances in which his eyes would fall on her began to become increasingly common the longer the trip was, correlating with her restlessness. Before the incident, she had no problem sitting idly with a good book on rides to and from Resembool; but now she found the task next to impossible.

Being stuck on that train made her feel helpless and confined. Caged.

So it was a major relief when they finally reached the small country town. She felt like she could finally breathe...

"Hey! We're home!"

Riza's head snapped up. She hadn't even realized that they had already arrived at the house, let alone realize that they were standing in the foyer.

The sound of footsteps approaching announced Winry's presence. A moment later, she rounded the corner, a dish towel and glass in her two hands. Smiling at them, she said, "Glad you guys made it back safely. I was just about to start dinner."

"Great! I'm starving," Edward exclaimed as he set his suitcase down and made his way over to his wife. After drawing her into a quick embrace, he released her and placed a hand in her swollen stomach. "How's my little man," he asked playfully.

Winry rolled her eyes and chuckled softly, "You mean 'little girl,' right?"

"Well, we'll find out who's right in a few months," Edward decided to, wisely, respond with.

Riza had almost forgotten how perfectly the pair went together. Every time she thought about it, she couldn't help but feel happy. They both had certainly gotten the lives they deserved.

"Why don't I show you guys to your rooms? Once everyone washes up and takes some time to relax, we can head back down for dinner," Edward suggested, jolting Riza from her thoughts once again.

"Is there anything you would like us to do to help," Riza offered, not wanted the young woman to go above and beyond for their sake...

"Oh, it's no problem; really! I was just going to thaw some lasagna I made a few days ago." Flashing a small smile toward the older blonde woman, Winry added, "Just take a while to rest."

And that's what confirmed it for her. Immediately after Winry spoke, Riza noticed that her heart rate had jumped, the pupils in her blue eyes dilating ever so slightly.

Edward had told her.

Well, of course he did. She had expected it. But actually seeing Winry's subtle and unconscious reaction suddenly made her feel self-conscious. Becoming aware of the top of her head, Riza silently noted that her hat was still in place, slightly alleviating the sudden awkwardness.

"Yeah, no big deal," Edward added with a shrug. "C'mon," he motioned for the pair to follow, "I'll show you your rooms."

Roy sidestepped and motioned for Riza to go first. Nodding toward him in silent thanks, she followed after Edward with Roy in tow.

After they ascended the stairs, Edward motioned to the first room on his right, "Is this one alright, Hawkeye?"

Without looking at it, Riza nodded. "Yes. Thank you, Edward."

"No problem," he replied with a slight smile. Turning slightly toward Roy, Edward started to address him, though the Colonel- no, General's eyes were on her.

Before Roy followed the young man and they went their separate ways, they relayed a silent message only the other would understand: Meeting. Soon.

It only took Riza a couple of minutes to get ready; the rest of the time she spent pacing anxiously back and forth. She didn't know if this was the appropriate time to be having this type of conversation, but she needed to be sure where they stood.

Her stomach was in knots, her nerves started to get the better or her. She wondered if he felt like this before he had asked something similar of her so many years ago...

She jumped when she heard a knock on her door. Drawing in a deep, shaking breath, she slowly walked over to it and opened it.

She hoped he would understand...

* * *

After his conversation with Riza, Roy found that he was unable to eat or sleep, the thoughts in his head turbulent and restless. So when it was around two in the morning, Roy could no longer stand lying in bed. Silently slipping out of his room, he elected to wander to the part of the Rockbell house that lacked bedrooms. He needed a new place to sit and think.

Before he made his way toward his destination, however, he paused when he saw a soft glow from beneath one of the doors in the opposing hallway. If he recalled correctly, behind that door was an office.

Walking over to it, he grasped the doorknob and turned it, pushing against the door. As it swung open, he saw a flash of blond and red scramble across the floor. Blinking a few times, he recognized the "flash" as Edward.

Staring hardly at the older man, Edward grumbled, "You mind knocking next time?"

Ignoring the young man's question, Roy slowly stepped into the room, taking in everything he could in the dimly-lit room. Drawn on the floor in chalk was an intricate transmutation circle, identical to the one they had discovered at the warehouse days before. On top of it and strewn about were various papers and opened books, their text difficult to distinguish in the soft glow of a lantern that was seated next to Edward, whom had positioned himself in the middle of the array. "What is all this," he breathed. Before he could take another step forward, Edward raised his hand, stopping him in his tracks.

"Hold on." Scooting forward again, Edward smudged out another part of the transmutation circle's border. Looking up at Roy, he said, "The very last thing I need is for you to activate it. Knowing my luck, I'd be stuck with your ugly mug."

Roy ignored the offhanded comment. "You didn't answer my question from before. What is all of this," he asked again as he gestured to the articles that were scattered around.

"Research," Edward mumbled with a shrug as he looked back down at the book in his lap. "I almost have this text translated…"

"And you're doing all of this at," Roy looked down at his pocket watch to confirm, "Two-thirty in the morning?"

"Yeah," Edward replied without looking up from the book, turning the page as he added, "Not really a big deal. I do it all the time."

"Yes… Except you barely got any sleep last night. Shouldn't you be in bed with your wife getting, you know, some decent sleep for once?"

Focusing his full attention on Roy once again, Edward scoffed, "What are you, my dad?"

Roy rolled his eyes, remembering having this conversation with the young man many a time when he had been a teenager. "No, but what can you accomplish at two-thirty-"

"I think I have it," Edward said bluntly, cutting the older man off.

Thrown off by the young man's response, Roy blinked and asked, "You…what?"

"I think… I think I figured something out," Edward replied slowly. "It's the thing I mentioned before that I wanted to run by Al. But seeing that he still hasn't arrived in Nippon and contacted Ling, I guess you're the next best thing."

Disregarding Edward's slight change in tone, Roy sat cross-legged on the floor and began asking questions, hoping not to sound too optimistic. After all, he needed to remember that Edward had mentioned it was a longshot.

"Well…," Edward began, as if unsure where to start. "You see this symbol here," he asked as he pointed to a rounded emblem on his right. "It represents blood. And these," he lightly traced one of the lines that ran into it, "Represent binding. So, 'bound by blood.'

"Hawkeye said that the 'doctor' slit her throat. And he waited until the two blood supplies connected and mixed, right? So I guess that the most basic assumption would be that the key to this transmutation is blood. But," furrowing his brow, Edward lowered his voice slightly, "The issue with the transmutation is also blood." He looked Roy straight in the eye to see if the he was following.

Roy had been, up until that point. He understood that blood was important, but he didn't understand its role.

Seemingly noticing Roy's confusion, Edward continued, "It's not something I like to talk about often, but when Al and I attempted to bring our mother back we used our blood as 'Soul Data.' Since it had half of her genetic makeup, we figured it would be enough to be a template for her genetic particles.* Looking back, I realize that it was not enough. That and a few other factors, like not realizing that Al and I also inherited half of our genetic particles from our lame-ass father.

"So," Edward advanced excitedly, his eyes lighting up as he spoke, "The key is pure blood. Using the correct transmutation circle, we could use Hawkeye's own blood to 'reprogram' the cells in her body. The transmutation would force the new genetic particles out, replacing them with the old particles in order to allow them to proliferate, and restore her body to what it was before."

Roy arched his brows in surprise. The idea was… extremely well-thought out. But-

"But the issue, like I said, is blood," Edward continued, answering Roy's next question. "We would need a lot of it. And we can't use the blood she has now; it would be pointless. We need blood from before the transmutation…" He trailed off, once again looking to Roy.

Roy felt his hopeful face falter slightly. She had donated blood in the past, especially after the Promised Day. But recently, he knew that she hadn't because of all the work and late nights.

Seeing the General's reaction, Edward tried another approach. "Is there something, anything out there with her blood on it? I think it could work even if it's dried."

Roy thought long and hard. He didn't just keep something lying around with Riza's blood on it. What would be the point? There wasn't-

_Wait_…

His eyes widened in realization. "I'll be right back," he tossed over his shoulder, already halfway to the door. Eyes unadjusted to the lack of light, Roy stumbled through the darkness and to his room. Throwing the light switch on, he strode over to his jacket and dug his hand into the pocket. When he found them, he wrapped his fingers around them gingerly and produced them from his jacket. Without a second thought, he made his way back to the office and sat down on the floor at the edge of the transmutation circle.

When Edward eyed him curiously, Roy extended his arm and opened his hand, revealing a familiar set of silver earrings that rested on his palm.

Edward's eyes widened in anticipation and recognition as he leapt to his feet and grabbed a small Petri dish from the desk. Making his way back over to Roy, he held it out, inviting him to drop them in. When he had, Edward leaned over the glass dish and held it close to his face, examining them.

After a minute or so, he looked up at Roy, the spark in his eyes glowing brighter. "This could work," he breathed. "This could really work…"

Not trying to sound too hopeful, Roy objected to one observation he made. "You said that we'd need a lot of it though…"

Looking back down at the earrings, Edward nodded in agreement. "Actually, we have even less than you think." Pointing to the studded part of one of the pieces of jewelry, he said, "I doubt this blood is viable because it's on the outer edges and most likely stained with the tainted blood. But this," he motioned toward the earring's stalk, "Is most likely blood from her ears when they were torn out at the _beginning_ of the transmutation." His eyes on Roy again, he could tell that the young man sensed his disbelief.

"The thing about alchemy is that you can take one thing and make something new with it, as long as the fundamental elements are the same. Since we know the makeup of genetic particles and blood, we could make more of it using this as a template.

"From what I gather, it's rigorous and tedious... But it's possible..."

Roy let Edward's words slowly sink in. It was possible…

Seeing Edward's beaming smile confirmed that the young man was confident in what he was saying. It was really possible…

They could altogether avoid Truth...

Edward's voice broke through Roy's concentration, bringing him back to their conversation. "We could go tomorrow morning and get some supplies. If we first try it and make a small amount from maybe a mouse or something, we could inject a minuscule portion of it into its vein to see if it reacts to itself. If it doesn't, then the blood was pure… And we could use the same technique to make viable blood for the reversal."

Roy watched the animated young man for a few moments, marveling at his determination and genius. He never truly ceased to amaze…

"Alright," he said as he stood, trying to hide his overwhelming excitement. "Tomorrow we'll go and get supplies, but only if you actually _sleep_ tonight."

Edward rolled his eyes at the man's overprotective gesture, though he was smiling. "Yeah, yeah…" Grabbing the lantern next to him, he carefully maneuvered his way through the circle, taking care to not smudging anything else. When he got to the edge, he carefully stepped out of it to stand next to Roy. Casting one last glance over his shoulder, Edward followed after the older man and closed the door firmly behind him.

* * *

Riza slowly made her way down the stairs and toward the rich aroma that was emanating from the kitchen. Judging by the medley of smells that ranged from raw beef and gravy to carrots and onions, someone was in the early process of making beef stew. Frowning to herself, she realized that that meant it was nearing lunchtime already.

She had overslept. Something she had not done since she was a child.

Stepping lightly into the kitchen, she found Winry struggling to place a large pot of water on top of the stove.

Rushing over, Riza grabbed the body of the pot and helped her heave it onto the oven top. Once that had been done, she eyed the young blonde harshly. "Winry," she gently scolded, "You shouldn't be lifting this much weight in your state."

Winry blushed sheepishly and cast Riza a sideways glance. "I know, but I didn't want to wake you."

Riza shook her head. "That doesn't mean that you shouldn't," she pointed out. "This is about you and your baby. Not about me and my sleeping habits. Besides," she looked around the room for a clock, "I have a feeling I overslept."

Winry shrugged and sent her a small smile. "If you did, it wasn't by long. It's only 8:30," she pointed out, gesturing toward the clock behind Riza.

Turning to confirm that it was indeed 8:30, Riza frowned slightly. Sure it was early, but she was always promptly up by 5am sharp, regardless of whether or not she had an alarm set. Still, she chastised herself internally for not being up sooner to help the young blonde.

Rotating back to Winry, she grasped the onions that were laid out on the counter. "Here, let me help you with these."

Seemingly relieved, Winry graciously accepted her offer and thanked her.

With a small nod, Riza grabbed the kitchen knife that was next to the onions, moved them over to the cutting board and slowly began peeling them.

It only took her a few moments to realize her mistake. The more layers she peeled back, the more her eyes and nose stung. The odor was extremely harsh to her heightened senses, almost to the point of being unbearable. Still, she had offered and felt that it was disrespectful handing the job over to the pregnant young woman. So she decided to trudge onward, knowing full well that she'd only be smelling onions for the rest of the day.

She was so absorbed in trying to focus on not smelling the foul food that Riza almost didn't realize Winry was watching her. Turning her head slightly, she shot a small smile toward the young woman. "Is something the matter, Winry?"

Her face turning a shade redder, Winry quickly shook her head. "No, no, no. I just, well-"

Riza felt her small smile slowly fade. She suddenly began to feel increasingly self-conscious of the hat that rested on her head.

"I- I was just going to say that you can remove your hat. It's okay."

Riza was taken aback. She hadn't expected that. In fact, she had almost expected the young woman to draw attention to it by asking a flurry of questions. Feeling her smile return, she said, "I appreciate it, Winry, but if it's alright with you I'd prefer to keep it on. It's surprisingly comfortable."

That was a lie. In reality, she was convinced that the small and humid microenvironment the hat was creating beneath it was beginning to give her an ear infection. But for some reason she was extremely uncomfortable without it on in the presence of anyone other than Roy or Edward. So she had resigned herself to suffering through it for a few more days until she, hopefully, grew more comfortable.

Winry seemed reluctant, but eventually nodded in slight agreement, turning back to the carrots she was cutting.

The two remained silent until Riza cleared her throat, breaking it. "So, where have the men gone at this hour?"

A smile in her voice, Winry said, "They left about a half hour ago to pick up a few things from the market in town. They should be back in about two hours or so."

Riza couldn't help but smile at the thought of the two men, who would normally bicker about anything they could find, attempting to agree on whatever they'd bring back with them. And at the same time, it brought up a sense of longing in her. For whatever reason, the notion had a homely feel to it, something she didn't even realize she craved.

She was about to respond when a muted creak filled her ears. Stopping what she was doing, she strained to listen.

Another creak. This time she was not mistaken.

Forgetting that she had the knife in her hand and was still in mid-conversation with Winry, Riza cautiously and silently advanced, listening for the sound once more. As she reached the corner that separated the kitchen, she guardedly edged herself around the corner, only to find herself face-to-face with Roy… and an unknown assailant.

Before she could do anything to respond, a massive weight slammed into her side, forcing her to the ground. Before her arms were pinned, she slashed at her aggressor with the knife, slicing into his left cheek.

The assaulter howled in surprise and clawed feverishly at his face, giving her the opportunity to scramble out from beneath him.

As she stumbled to her feet, her eyes still on the massive and muscled aggressor, the scream of something slicing through the air rang in her ears. She instinctively ducked, just barely missing the enormous arm that swung over her head. Combat skills long forgotten were returning to her.

In one swift movement, she rotated the knife in her hand and thrust it behind her, feeling it bury into a tough piece of flesh.

The second aggressor cried out in pain as it lashed out again, this time missing her by mere centimeters. Using the heel of her foot, she pushed herself off and away from him. While trying to catch her footing, Riza heard a third assailant behind her. Turning swiftly with her knife raised, she froze.

This time she saw him more clearly. It was Roy; his face covered in cuts and bruises… and his arms were bound behind him, his mouth duct taped shut. His widened, panicked eyes screamed for her to run.

She couldn't run. Not without-

Another weight smashed into her from behind, slamming her to the floor once more. She watched helplessly as the knife skidded away from her and out of her reach. A massive hand grabbed both of her arms and held them behind her. A second one slammed into her face, pressing her cheek against the living room's hardwood floor.

Through the fringe that obscured most of her vision, Riza could make out two figures coming toward her. One was clad in a white jacket and the other…

Her eyes widened in recognition.

The doctor smiled playfully at her as he pushed his hostage forward. Raising and pressing his signature blood-stained hunting knife to Winry's throat, he purred, "It's been a while, hasn't it?"

Riza narrowed her eyes in response. "What do you want," she growled.

"Why… I want you my dear," he remarked lightly.

"Well, you have me," she retorted, "So let them go."

"Ah, ah, ah," Dr. Beller shook his head. "My orders were perfectly clear. I am to kill every. Last. One of them. And," he pressed the knife even more firmly against Winry's throat, "I think I'll start with this one."

Riza's eyes widened with horror as a small trickle of blood ran down Winry's neck.

"I wonder," the doctor pondered absently. "I wonder how long it would take for her to bleed out? Or," he grinned madly, "I wonder how long before the infant inside of her dies?"

She heard a strangled cry to her right, confirming her suspicion that they had captured Edward as well.

"Please," Riza begged, "Let them go."

"Oh, but my orders-"

"Damn your orders," Riza yelled. "Let them go. Just please… let them go."

"You are in no position to be making demands, my dear. But please, humor me."

Oh, she'd humor him alright. "If you don't, I will continue to fight until my dying breath. From what it sounds like, you need me alive; but I can guarantee you I can finish the job before you take me to whomever gave you those orders."

To her left she heard a muffled scream, no doubt belonging to Roy. She didn't need to look at him to know that he was fighting with all of his might to struggle away from his assailant's firm grip.

Still, she kept her eyes locked on the doctor, anxiously awaiting his reply.

The crazed man in the white coat considered it, glancing up at the ceiling in deep thought. Finally, he looked down his nose at her. "So… You won't fight?"

She did her best to shake her head yes. She wouldn't fight… for now.

"And all I need to do is let them live?"

Again she nodded eagerly in response. "My life for theirs… Equivalent exchange, right," she added with a tinge of acidity in her voice.

"Hmm… Very well then..." The doctor aggressively pushed Winry to the ground, eliciting a cry of pain from her. Turning his back to them and walking away, the doctor calmly ordered over his shoulder, "Tie them all up. Be sure to bind them tightly."

Out of the corner of her eye, Riza saw Roy's pained expression, his sorrowful eyes watching her. She shot him a disheartened look that said "I had to do it…"

However, his pained expression gave way to one of alarm, then hysteria.

Before she could even begin to wonder what he was trying to convey, a blunt force slammed into her skull from behind, knocking her out instantly.

* * *

"Sir, I-I got her, just like you asked."

_"Good. Now do what you can… and break her."_

* * *

Riza groaned softly as she slowly came to, trying to figure out what had caused the immeasurable pain in the back of her head. She felt her ears slightly twitch in response to a constant drip that she gradually was able to make out as her senses returned. Accompanying the sound of leaking water was the thick scent of mildew and decay that hung in the musty air.

Shifting uncomfortably, she realized that her hands were bound behind her back. Testing her binding's strength, she deduced that it wasn't something she could easily slip out of. Frowning at the predicament, she moved again, causing a sharp pain to radiate through her skull.

Before she could whimper in protest to the pain, a sudden force jerked her upright and into a sitting position. Eyes jolted open in shock; she found that her glassy gaze was met by a set of cold, hardened eyes.

The doctor grinned wickedly. "Welcome to hell, my dear."

* * *

**A/N: **_Quick note: Genetic particles* = DNA. I remember learning about DNA being called an 'inheritable genetic particle' when learning Mendelian genetics._

_Anyways, I purposely left Riza and Roy's conversation out because it will come up again in a few chapters. It'll all make sense..._


	11. Broken

**A/N: **_Most of this chapter takes place over the span of a few weeks. It seems fast, but the next chapter will have explanations/more examples._

_Well... You'll see..._

* * *

Edward was the first to release himself from the ropes that had held him prisoner. As he rubbed his wrists, he rushed over to his semi-conscious wife and began frantically untying her bindings while repeating her name in an effort to keep her with him.

If he had to guess, they had been tied down for six hours or so. Meaning that the men that took Hawkeye were long gone...

Finally, he felt the rope slacken then fall, and her along with them. Reaching out, he caught her and eased her to the ground.

"Winry," he gasped as he placed his hand on her face. "Winry, please answer me."

She wearily obeyed, opening her eyes as she placed her hand atop his own. "I'm alright," she murmured tiredly. "Just...just worn out."

"Did they hurt you anywhere else? How's-"

"Edward...he's alright," she reassured him as her free hand went down to rub her stomach. "Actually, he's doing _very _well. He hasn't stopped kicking..."

Still, he continued to press as he leaned over her, asking any and every question that came to mind, in which she confidently and truthfully answered every single one.

Finally he accepted her reassurances. After pecking her gently on the forehead with his lips, he turned his attention to the third prisoner. Rushing over to Roy Mustang, he prodded him on the shoulder.

The Flame Alchemist, whom had stopped responding to Edward's words hours ago, barely stirred, his head hung limply.

"Mustang," Edward growled, trying to hide his worry, "Wake up."

Still no response.

Edward's stomach dropped. They had both been beaten up pretty badly, but he didn't think Mustang was hurt _that_ severely. Still, he knew that the older man had been in an immense amount of pain to begin with.

As he began to on push Mustang's shoulder in an effort to wake the man, Edward's eyes slowly wandered over to his other shoulder. With the way the fabric of his jacket fell, it was not apparent that it dislocated. However, Edward was positive it was...

They had been walking toward town when they were ambushed. It happened so quickly that Mustang didn't have the chance to react, even by clapping his hands.

They somehow knew that he was able to do clap alchemy now, because their first targets were his hands. One of the monstrous men that had attacked them instantly went for the Flame Alchemist's arm. Taking it between his massive hands, he had pulled and rotated. Despite Edward being a reasonable distance away, he still heard the terrible noise Mustang's joint made upon separation.

The resulting scream that Mustang responded with had been enough to distract Edward from his fight long enough to get him tackled to the ground. As he struggled in an attempt to get away from their grip, Edward could see Mustang still fighting, his left arm hanging limply at his side. However, it didn't take them long to subdue and bind him as well.

After that, it was only a matter of time before their captors toted them back to his own home and found the women almost unaware of the assailants. If Hawkeye hadn't heard them, he suspected that the fight would have been a lot shorter.

She had fought valiantly in an attempt to beat off the intruders, but he knew that eventually she too would fall. And when she did, she still fought; trying desperately to barter for their lives as they were threatened.

Then, for some reason, the insane man and his lackeys listened and agreed to spare them in the last moments she was conscious...

Finally his constant prodding and pleading got him a reply.

Mustang groaned and slowly lifted his head. After blinking a few times, he gasped, eyes snapping over to the last place he saw Hawkeye. The grief on his face was clear when he saw the remains of a shattered lamp in the place she had been.

As he began to become more aware of his surroundings, Edward raced to the kitchen and back, bringing with him a kitchen knife. He carefully sliced through the ropes around Mustang's legs, body, and hands.

"How's your shoulder," Edward finally asked, his eyes scanning up to its joint.

Still staring vacantly ahead, Mustang murmured, "Fine," as he absently reached up to rub it. The instant his hand touched it, he winced violently and hissed.

"Hey! Take it easy," Edward scolded as he raised his hands to help the man. However, he stopped when Mustang slowly rose to his feet and attempted to take a step forward. Almost instantly his knees gave out and he crashed to the ground.

"Idiot," Edward snapped harshly as he tried to push the fallen man into a sitting position.

But Mustang's determination was stronger than Edward's command to remain still. Again the man tried to struggle to his feet. This time he muttered breathlessly, "We need to find her... She needs me."

Edward clapped a hand in the man's shoulder and pushed him back down. "I know that! We will; I promise we-"

"No," Mustang snapped. "We need to soon. No... Sooner than that. Now."

Edward felt his stomach drop. Why _now_? Of course they needed to find her. But the urgency in Mustang's voice was genuinely scaring him.

"Because," Mustang choked out, "Because she _warned_ me..."

* * *

He had called it 'hell,' but Riza wondered if the crazed doctor even knew the meaning of the word.

Ishval during the war was hell.

Being reassigned under Fuhrer King Bradley and pulled away from her superior officer had been hell.

Having her throat slit and having her life dangled in front of the man she loved had been hell.

This...was not hell. Unless he considered three meals and four escorted trips to the washroom as its definition.

Obviously she wanted nothing more than to get escape. She had pushed against every concrete block she could reach and twisted every single iron bar that held her in this small, prison-like cell to check if anything had been loose. Unfortunately, everything was tightly sealed.

Her demands to be released, or at the least receive information on why they held her there, were constant, albeit still unanswered. The doctor would merely chuckle and shake his head from the other side of the bars when she did, ignoring her venomous glare.

She hated him.

Her feelings of loathing were there, seething just below the surface.

And she could tell that he feared her, or at the very least was very, very uneasy while around her. He always brought at least two goons with him, always keeping them between her and himself.

But even they, she came to realize, were slightly put off by her. One of them, the one with a lanky and thin body was, she deduced, mixed with a reptile of sorts. Another, she discovered, had been blended together with some kind of bird, his large oblong nose being the evidence. A third that she saw only on rare occasions had large, rippling muscles, but was extremely skittish. Horse, she later discovered. Unlike her, their physical features were nearly unchanged...

And although their uneasiness was subtle, it was clearly there. And that's when she realized that in their eyes, she was a predator, and they the prey.

The thought was foreign and unsettling to her, but she kept it in the back of her mind for future reference.

Because in a way, their reluctance was strangely satisfying...

* * *

_**"How are things going?"**_

**"Fine, fine," Beller answered into the phone's receiver with a hint of pride. "Everything is going smoothly thus far."**

_**"Then why is it taking so long," **_**Thomas demanded agitatedly. **_**"You said that-"**_

**"I said that it takes time, General," Beller appealed to the angered officer. "Sometimes you have to break something more before you can fix it; it depends on the individual. That takes time," he explained.**

**"**_**I've done my waiting," **_**Thomas growled through the line. **_**"It seems as though your methods are not working."**_

**"They are, they are," Beller reassured quickly. "It's subtle now, but I can see it working clearly-"**

_**"See **_**what **_**clearly," **_**the General snapped.**

**The doctor cleared his throat nervously. "M-mannerisms, sir. Mannerisms, actions, simple gestures," he listed. "My methods are to irritate until it begins to show these 'signs'.**

**"The soul of the animal is long gone; it's dead. But its influence, instincts, irritants are still there below the surface. I aim to irk her enough to make the habits arise.**

**"For example," he explained, "The animal hated to be caged; that nearly drove it mad! And she's beginning to show signs of discomfort, because she's-"**

* * *

Pacing.

That was all Riza seemed to do now.

She'd stop only when the doctor and his lackeys disrupted her, when they'd bring her food, when one of them would come to escort her to a washroom, or when she slept. Other than that, despite how much she tried to stop it, she found that she couldn't. As soon as her guard was down, she'd find herself on her feet again, pacing back and forth the entire length of the cell.

If she stopped, an anxiety-driven tightness would form in her chest and the walls would seem as if they were closing in on her. So her solution was to continue, allowing herself that time to think and plan.

But still... It nearly felt as if she was being driven mad.

* * *

**"And-and I've noticed a curious decline in word association and understanding."**

* * *

Riza didn't know when it had first happened, but at some point the doctor's words had begun to no longer make any sense.

It started with one word in a sentence, but it soon progressed to another, then another.

She couldn't figure out what language it was. Aside from her native Amestrian, she was familiar with some Cretian and a hint of Xingese; though she could recognize Aerugean and Drachman when she heard it.

But this...this was a completely different language.

* * *

**"I've also noticed that's she's becoming more accepting of certain... circumstances."**

* * *

The first few times the doctor and his musty-scented monsters came into the cell demanding a blood sample, she fought. She struggled and writhed and clawed at their grasps until they were able to pin her with her arms behind her back. Even when they moved one of her arms for the sample to be taken from, she still attempted to defy them. This resulted in them painfully twisting it until it almost came loose from its socket.

Once it was all said and done, they'd leave, with the doctor throwing a thoughtless, "Thank you, Eighty-eight," over his shoulder. To which she'd respond by bitterly correcting him with, "Riza."

But he never took the correction to heart.

After probably the ninth or tenth blood draw, she finally stopped struggling and stopped correcting him. What was the point?

* * *

**"Although," he chuckled darkly as he looked down at his throbbing, casted hand, "It seems that no matter what, I can't get her to like me."**

* * *

Every time the doctor came in, he was accompanied by at least two other guards, oftentimes they would enter before him in order to restrain her. They knew that, if given the chance, she'd try to make him pay. Plus, keeping her restrained made them feel at ease too...

One of the times when they had come in to draw her blood, the doctor noted that one of her ears was drooping slightly. The one that was bothering her slightly more before when she was convinced she had begun to develop an ear infection.

A quick glance inside it confirmed that she indeed had one.

As he pulled away, one of the men let their guard down and loosened his grip ever so slightly.

That moment was all she needed.

In one swift movement, she clamped her teeth down tightly on his hand.

The beginnings of the resulting scream only fueled her hatred as she clenched her jaw and sank her teeth deeper and deeper until-

_Snap!_

The sound confirmed it.

She obediently let go as the two chimera that were holding her yanked her away, the doctor himself pulling his broken and bloodied hand away from her, cradling it in his arm.

Tasting blood in her mouth, she spat it out while fixing her hardened, loathing glare on the doctor. The corners of her lips twitched with the ghost of a wicked, triumphant smile.

For a moment he mirrored her cold gaze, until his lips curled upwards as he began to chuckle. His chuckle then morphed into a laugh, which quickly escalated into a gleeful roar.

Taken aback by his change in response, Riza felt her face soften slightly as her glare became a look of confusion.

She was in such a state of dismay that she hadn't realized the other chimera had released her. It wasn't until they were out of the door, ushering the injured doctor out that she even processed what has happened.

Even as he was leaving, his crazed eyes followed her, his fits of laughter escalating the further he got. Finally he was out of view, his chortles dying as he moved away.

In a complete state of shock she stared down at her hands in disbelief, trying to process what had just happened.

Why... Why had she done that?

* * *

**"So I can assure you, sir, that this **_**will **_**work," Beller said as he ended his explanation.**

**The man on the other end of the line was silent for a few moments. Finally, General Thomas spoke, his tone hushed. **_**"Very well then... I expect you will call me when it is time for me to take part in this. Understood?"**_

**"Y-yes, sir," the doctor stammered as he tried to hide his smile. "I will call as soon as-"**

_**Click.**_

**Pulling his ear away from the receiver, the doctor grinned madly.**

**Things were finally beginning to fall into place.**

* * *

No longer able to ignore the ache in her legs, Riza took a break from her excessive pacing and sat down on the bench she used as a bed. Burying her face into her hands, she tried desperately to pull random names from her head to see which ones fit.

In her dream last night, Roy had been there, of course. But there had also been two others; others she felt she should have recognized.

They looked like they were related, both of them with golden hair and golden eyes. At some points in her dream they were older, and at others they were smaller. The younger of the two, however, would change shape and become larger and metallic.

That made no sense. Metal wasn't flesh and flesh wasn't metal. She dismissed it as a dream; it simply wasn't possible...

Still, she felt something nagging at her at the back of her mind.

She had known them at _some _point...

* * *

This time she knew she was simply forgetting. She _knew _these men.

That night she dreamt of a team of five without including herself. At one point she had known their names... But now she couldn't think of them, except for Roy's. He was a constant, unwavering reminder of who she was.

The others, though, were fading from her mind.

Did the one with gray hair have rims around his eyes, or did the heavier one? No... The heavier one was the one that lit sticks on fire and put them in his mouth... Right? Or was that the small one with the black hair?

Then what did the sandy-haired one do? What was his role?

Their voices, faces, and features were fading...

* * *

She had killed people. In a land of sand and red-eyed people; she had slaughtered them.

Roy-no, Major- had been there too, setting fire to the rest.

His eyes screamed 'killer.'

No doubt her eyes declared that too...

They were both there...but why? What had been their purpose? They both clearly did not want to be there.

She remembered a time when, after the gunfire had ceased for the night, he found her and held her, chasing the nightmares away.

Wrapping her arms around herself and pulling her knees to her chest, she desperately tried to relive that moment; when, despite being surrounded by blood and hate and war, she felt safe and loved.

* * *

This wasn't happening...

This wasn't happening!

What were his features?!

His eyes? Were they blue or obsidian in color?

His darkened hair? Neatly trimmed and combed back or shagged and messy?

She had tried desperately to keep his image in her mind, clinging to it for dear life. She couldn't forget him... She wouldn't!

He had been her everything! Her purpose, her dedication... Her life... Love...

Or had he been? Had she been trying to hold onto the face of a simple stranger this entire time? Did she replace the one she was supposed to remember with the wrong visage?

No... because why would she have tried to keep this image in her mind so desperately unless he held a great significance to her.

...What was his name?

With both of her hands on the side of her head, she rocked gently, trying to ease the pain that accompanied her trying to remember.

She whispered something under her breath, but that didn't even seem remotely close to a sound that would define who he was to her.

The image she had in her mind was beginning to contort and change.

She tried in vain to keep it in her mind. No... she couldn't lose him.

He was all she had left! She couldn't... She couldn't...

No.

No.

No...

As the throbbing in her skull began to dull, she moved her hands from the sides of her head to her bury her face into them. Her eyes had become wet with tears.

Taking a deep breath, she decided to start anew as she tried to dry her face.

But...What was she trying to remember...?

* * *

The sound of footsteps woke her with a start.

These ones were different. The sounds they made were not normal.

She rolled over and watched as he doctor, two of "his," and an unidentified man appeared.

They exchanged words briefly before the doctor pulled a set of keys and unlocked the door, ushering the three others in. He, however, remained outside. As he should.

She kept her glare on him longer than she intended to, her lips pulled back menacingly.

He should _stay _out there...

Suddenly her view of him was blocked.

Glaring up at the one that was in her way, she identified him as the unknown man. Looking at him from down to up, she realized that he was the source of the unusual footsteps. Because instead of two legs he had three; his third, wooden one held in his hand, most of his weight leaning into it.

Her glare was met with his piercing, hardened eyes.

Suddenly, something inside of her begged for her to run. The hairs on her neck stood on end amidst her internal panic.

But there was nowhere to go. They'd catch her.

But his gaze... It was unnerving, it was unsettling, it was... Terrifying.

She instinctively lowered her gaze to the floor, ears pressed firmly against her head.

What did he want? What did he want? What did he want?!

...Did he want blood?

She slowly lifted her arm and offered it to him, wanting it to be over with already.

But much to her surprise and horror, he slowly knelt down to her level and gently pushed her hand away. Then he began to speak.

But she didn't understand him. His words, noises, were blended together and were completely unintelligible.

Then his words stopped, possibly realizing she wasn't listening.

She heard the sound of ruffling, but dared not raise her head.

Without another word, the aged unknown shoved something flat and thin into her field of vision.

Despite her discomfort, she willed herself to raise her eyes to look at it.

He moved it closer to her. He _wanted _her to take it.

Reluctantly she did.

Examining it closey, it appeared as if there was someone stuck inside of it.

Flipping it over, she was greeted with a blank back.

So just on one side...

Turning it back, she glared at the person in it.

He had dark hair with equally dark eyes, pleasing to the eye. The garments he wore were identical to the stranger's...

For a fleeting moment, she felt a pang of recognition and an ache in her heart, though it quickly passed.

What was she supposed to get from this?

Slowly looking back up at the unknown, she saw that his lips were pulled upward in a smile that showed through the graying hairs on his face. When his eyes caught hers, he began to speak again, but he ended his string of words with a certain type of inflection.

He was asking her questions.

But she couldn't answer if she didn't understand him. And even if she could, her ability to even form coherent sounds in response had disappeared...if she was even able to to begin with.

His questions were becoming choppier and shorter, the pauses between them longer and more drawn out.

She kept her eyes down on the paper in her hands. Maybe the words had to do with this?

None of them seemed to fit, however.

It wasn't until he had uttered a question that _was _familiar that she finally looked up.

"...Eighty-eight?"

She recognized that... Because that was her name.

* * *

**A/N: **_Look, a gift! A new chapter for the holiday season. So Happy... Holidays?_

_**Eckham **__made an excellent observation. In Chapter 5 Roy kind of let Wilson, who is five ranks lower than him, walk all over him. Why did he let him do that without severe consequences?_

_I'm going to say that it was awkward writing in my part! I don't think I fully conveyed what was going on in Roy's mind. He should have definitely been more angry than I made him out to be. At least in my mind at the time, I was focusing on when he heard about his men being interviewed and when Wilson said the order was given to exterminate the chimera. At that point in my head, Roy's thoughts were reeling, and he became more focused on getting to Riza before General Thomas did. So he kind of "let it slide."_

_...But don't worry, he will make up for it._

_Fun fact*: A wolf's jaw is powerful enough to snap a moose's femur after a few bites..._

_So, thank you for the reviews, follows, and favorites! You guys are great._


	12. Taken

_"Tell me... What is your name?"_

_General Thomas watched as the chimera looked down at the photograph in her hands._

_A smile crept onto his face. "Do you know him?" He paused for a moment. "General __**Roy **__Mustang?"_

_No reaction. Not even a twitch or hesitation._

_He let the name sit and simmer for a moment just in case. But still nothing..._

_"The Hero of Ishval," he sneered as a surge of anger began to rise within him. "The future 'Fuhrer' of Amestris?"_

_Nothing._

_"How about... The Hawk's Eye?"_

_He watched as she ran her thumb over the photograph, completely oblivious to what he was saying._

_"Riza," he said with another drawn out pause. "Riza Hawkeye?"_

_The lack of a reaction brought back his sinister smile. "Then how about... Eighty-Eight?"_

_With that she looked up, yellow eyes flitting about in an attempt to read his face._

_His smile broadening, Thomas lowered his voice, "Yes, that's right; Eighty-Eight is your name."_

_Upon hearing the set of words again, her brows raised and ears twitched in recognition._

_Reaching forward, he yanked the picture from her grasp and stood._

_Feeling her eyes on him, he grinned as he began ripping the paper to bits and pieces. When he deemed them small enough, he collected them in one hand and crushed them. "And _he_ is no longer your commanding officer."_

* * *

"Sir, may I asked where we are going," Lieutenant Colonel Wilson asked as he obediently followed General Thomas through the winding tunnels beneath Central Command. When the General invited him to a "private" meeting, he did not expect it to be there. He had thought that the tunnels had been sealed after what many referred to as "the Promised Day."

The General did not respond, instead quickening his pace. Despite having a cane, the General was still surprisingly spry.

"Sir," Wilson began again as he attempted to catch up with his superior officer, "Again, if you don't mind me asking, where are we-"

"It's best that I show you," the General snapped, cutting his subordinate off.

Surprised by the General's harsh tone, Wilson opted to remain silent. After a few minutes, however, he heard a peculiar noise. Straining to listen as they neared it, he realized that the "noise" was actually a mixture of noises.

Pulling two pairs of headphones from his pocket, the General handed some to his subordinate, then stopped to place them in his ears.

"Sir, why-"

Thomas raised his hand, silencing the Colonel.

Frustrated by the lack of information, Wilson reluctantly placed them in his ears as he watched the General pull open a steel door at the end of the corridor and motioned for him to follow.

As soon as he entered the hallway, he was hit with a barrage of strange odors and noises, despite having the ear protection in place. Turning to the sources of the noises, he was horrified by what he saw.

Lining the hallway to the left of him were a series of prison-like cells. Within each one was a "beast" of sorts; some humanoid in shape, while others were less so. Every single one of them took notice of the two men and immediately stopped their pacing or howling and launched themselves at the bars, clawing frantically at them.

Shocked and disturbed, Wilson rushed forward, nearly running into the General, whom had already gotten to the next door and opened it. Pushing his way through it, he slammed it behind him and the General. Turning to the General, his mouth agape, he exclaimed, "Sir, you... You caught the-"

"I wouldn't say 'caught,' Lieutenant Colonel," Thomas responded as he pulled the earplugs from his ears and turned to his subordinate, a cryptic smile on his face. "It's more like I 'have' them."

"General, I don't-"

"Follow me and I will explain," Thomas murmured as he began to continue down the second corridor they had entered.

"Tell me, Lieutenant Colonel; how are Amestris's relationships with our surrounding countries?"

"N-not good, sir," Wilson replied confusedly.

"And do you think our current Fuhrer's last tour will do anything about our relations?"

Wilson paused for a moment. Fuhrer Grumman had a way with words, but tensions had grown between their nation and Drachma and Aerugo in the past two years. Despite his silver tongue, there was still a lot of work that needed to be done...

"No, sir," Wilson responded truthfully.

"Exactly," Thomas agreed as he trudged on. "And, unfortunately, our next leader is too much like our current one: soft. He may have seen the Ishvalan war and had been deemed a 'hero,' but he has not the experience nor what it takes to rule.

"War is imminent, Colonel, and with either one at the helm, Amestris _will _fall. So, I have taken it upon myself to ensure that this nation thrives... One way or another." Stopping at another steel door, the General turned to his subordinate. "Will you continue to follow me, Lieutenant Colonel?"

The younger man paused for a moment. Why would he ask such a thing? Of course he would follow him. After knowing him for so many years, he discovered that everything the General did was for the good of this nation, even if it may seem radical or extreme to others.

He himself joined the military to protect this nation and its citizens from any threat that presented itself, domestic or international. If the General saw something in the current government's structure that would cause the fall of Amestris, then it must be true.

"Yes, sir," the Lieutenant Colonel answered.

The General's face softened as he smiled genuinely at his subordinate. "Thank you, Lieutenant Colonel. I always knew that I could trust you. And that is why I am filling you in on my solution for this nation."

"Solution, sir?" Wilson wondered aloud.

With a grunt and shove, the General pushed the steel door open with great effort. Once it was ajar, he motioned for the Colonel to follow. After limping along for a while, the General finally spoke. "Do you remember after the Promised Day when our office was flooded with extremely sensitive files from the years that Bradley ruled?"

"Yes, sir..." Wilson replied in agreement.

"And among those files were reports on alchemic soldiers?"

"...Yes. Chimeras, sir?"

"Correct; _they _are the solution."

Wilson stared at his commander as he followed behind him, genuinely lost. "But, sir, you and the Council ordered for them to be-"

"Exterminated, yes. But are the ones trapped down here dead, Lieutenant Colonel?"

"...No, sir."

"Exactly," the General began. "The ones on the surface are rogues, destined to die.

"You see, Lieutenant Colonel, under the former Bradley rule, many human-based chimera were created and deemed 'perfect soldiers.' However, they were far from perfect, because do you know what they possessed?"

Wilson did not respond, finding himself at a loss.

"Their humanity," Thomas answered for him in annoyance. "Their thoughts, their emotions, their wills... _Everything _that still made them human... To an extent.

"Many of them defected from the military after the war, switching sides or disappearing altogether. A waste of military funding and are thus targeted for elimination," he spat.

"But," Thomas continued, "What if you could take that away? Their emotional connection to their own species? Their resistance to slaughtering their own kind? If you take that away, you have a new breed of soldier. And that," he finally stopped and motioned to the cell in front of him, "is my ultimate goal."

Turning to see what he had gestured to, Wilson's eyes widened in shock. Sitting in the back in a small bench, knees pulled to her chest and blonde hair spilling over her shoulders, was a familiar form. "Is-is that-"

"Yes," Thomas answered as he stepped forward and clapped a hand on his subordinate's shoulder.

Doing his best to hide his horror, The Lieutenant Colonel muttered, "And she _agreed_ to the program. Just like that?" Captain Hawkeye was 110% devoted to General Mustang. She would never-

"Partially," Thomas admitted as he squeezed the Colonel's shoulder. "She volunteered to go first when her comrades were threatened. Noble, yet foolish.

"Although, she isn't Captain Hawkeye anymore..."

"I-I don't-"

"Captain," the General called out in a sickeningly sweet tone, causing Wilson to flinch. Out of blatant curiosity, however, he turned to watch the Captain.

She was looking away from them, so they only saw a profile of her face. However, he saw her eye flick over to them and quickly return to staring back at the wall. Though the gesture was more acknowledgement than recognition.

"Riza Hawkeye," the General called next.

She didn't even flinch, failing to show any sign of recognition.

"... Eighty-eight," the General resounded next, a hint of a smile in his voice.

Wilson stared in shock when she turned her head fully to glare at the pair, saffron-colored eyes narrowed in dislike. That's when he noticed...

"Her...ears?"

The General chuckled lightly. "The process didn't work _completely_. Our goal was to create a blend that removed any signs of a transmutation. However, we at least got rid of what we were aiming to."

Still staring in shock and disbelief, Wilson murmured, "How would... How would anyone say this was okay? The Fuhrer-"

"Will be dead in a matter of time," the General cut him off nonchalantly.

Turning wide-eyed to his leader, Wilson gaped at him. "Dead, sir? Why-"

"Like I told you, Lieutenant Colonel, he is not fit to rule. Now is the opportune time to eliminate the string of command in this country; between the passing of the torch."

"But Mustang-"

"General Mustang will never see his position of power, Colonel Wilson. You need to remember that the power is not immediately handed over to the predecessor, according to our newly drafted government documents. Rather, it is handed to the Council _until _the new leader is ready to take it on. A fault in our policies? Perhaps. But it works in our benefit this time."

"'Our,' sir?" Wilson asked as he tried to push down his feelings of disgust and shame. _This _was not the man he had sworn his life to.

"The Council, of course," Thomas said with a smile. "It makes conquest much easier when you have nearly 75% of them on your side..."

It was all beginning to sink in...

The General was planning to eliminate the Fuhrer... He _wanted _war.

And he was going to get it... And use soldiers designed to win...

"Will you still follow me," the General asked again. This time, however, his voice was laced with skepticism.

Slowly turning his attention from the Captain to his commander, Wilson raised his head and muttered, "Yes, sir."

* * *

"How are you feeling?"

Turning his head to look at his commanding officer, Fuery murmured, "Alright, sir... Still tired though..."

Casting his subordinate a weary smile, Roy said, "I don't doubt it, Sargent. You've only woken up a few days ago..."

"Yeah," the young man muttered as he clenched his bedsheets in his fists and stared ahead of him.

Seeing his Sargent's change in demeanor, Roy asked, "Is everything alright?"

"I guess," Kain murmured as he looked away from his superior officer. "It's just that... I miss everyone, you know?"

Roy paused for a moment, knowing exactly where this was going. "You did see Lieutenant Havoc just yesterday, remember? And Lieutenant Breda will be by later today..." He knew that the young man wanted to know Riza's condition, but he didn't know what to say...

What _was _there to say? That she was taken and gone for a month? That their efforts in finding her had proved fruitless? That they didn't actually _know _what her condition was...?

Every day Roy woke up was a nightmare upon realizing that she wasn't there.

Every. Single. Day...

Nodding, Fuery wearily said, "I know, sir. I just wish I could see everyone in one place. Why-"

Suddenly someone burst into the hospital room in a fit of panic. Turning toward the door, Roy identified the man as none other than Lieutenant Colonel Wilson.

"I'll be right back," he growled as he stood, his eyes never leaving the officer's.

Stepping into the hallway and closing the door loudly behind him, Roy sneered, "What is the meaning of this, _Lieutenant Colonel,_" hoping to make his displeasure and dislike obvious to the man.

Seemingly oblivious to the General's distaste for him, the panting and wide-eyed Colonel gasped, "Sir, I-I can lead you to your Captain."


	13. I'm Sorry

**A/N: **_Text that is __**bolded**__ is a memory of Roy's conversation with Riza. I decided to add it in bits and pieces, giving enough information in order to convey what they had talked about (and bolded it because the page breaks would be too much)_

* * *

There was not a force in Amestris strong enough to oppose Roy Mustang...

With another snap of his fingers, another explosion erupted in front of him, scattering the vermin that _dared _to challenge him.

After that display of power, the remaining lesser beasts scattered and vanished into the cracks in the walls. He doubted they would show themselves again after that...

Feeling a hand in his shoulder, he turned his darkened gaze toward Edward Elric, whose equally hardened eyes glared back.

"Colonel Wilson says we need to-"

"_You _need to find Beller," Roy hissed as he turned to focus his glare on the Lieutenant Colonel, whose hands were bound behind his back. "_He _will come with me."

Edward's eyes narrowed in anger. "No way in hell are we-"

"The longer we stand around here, the more likely it is he gets away," Roy snapped. Focusing on Armstrong and Havoc, he barked, "Go with Edward and secure the suspect. _Do not _let him escape this time."

Ignoring Edward's protests, Roy unlocked the handcuffs that had bound Wilson's hands. Pushing him forward, he growled, "Take me to her."

Raising his hands defensively, the Lieutenant Colonel obediently turned and began to lead Roy toward one of the many steel doors that lined the wall.

Before they reached it, he heard Edward approaching him from behind. "Mustang..."

"Go," he snapped as he whirled around the face the former alchemist. "I can handle this..."

For a moment the blond lingered, debating if he would disobey or not. Finally he gave in and turned away, tucking the gun Roy had issued him into his pocket. "I'll see you soon then."

Without responding, Roy shoved the Lieutenant Colonel through the door and into the dimly lit hallway.

For the moment they were alone.

"If this is a trick," Roy snarled as he raised his hand, his fingers poised to snap, "I can guarantee you will be the first to know my disappointment."

Without turning back to the General, the lower-tiered military man quickened his pace. After a moment of silence, he murmured, "I would not joke about this, General... I can assure you that I was unaware of all of this. Had I known sooner, you would have been notified then."

"Then why the change of heart," Roy asked warily, his eyes fixed on the man's back.

"Because... This man, the General, is not the same man I was designated to follow years ago. What he is doing," he said as he clenched fists at his sides, "Is not right..." Stopping at another door, the man briskly forced it open and beckoned the Flame Alchemist to follow.

The instant the door opened, Roy's ears were filled with cacophony and mayhem. Within the cells they passed were dozens of misshapen, godless creatures that were screaming, crying, agonizing…

But the moment he passed them by they quieted and pressed themselves against the walls of their container; hundreds of soulless, widened eyes silently following his every move.

The moment the Lieutenant Colonel led him to another corridor and shut the door firmly behind him, he could hear the creatures began to scream and moan once again.

"How much-," Suddenly Roy felt a heavy force slam against his body, forcing him to the floor. In that instant his gloves were torn from his hands and his arms were pressed firmly against his back. A cry of surprise and agony just next to him confirmed that the Lieutenant Colonel was caught up in whatever he was.

Twisting his head around, Roy could make out two large forms looming over them. Before he could shout in protest one of the forms groped at his hip, ripping his gun and holster away from his body. In one swift movement it then lifted him and held him tightly, pinning his arms to his chest.

Finally finding his voice, Roy spat, "Who the hell are you?"

His restrainer did not respond and instead decided to move onward, his conspirator and the captured Wilson following behind them.

"Answer me," Roy snarled as he struggled against the monster's firm grip.

The beast of a man remained silent, moving ahead at a quickened pace. Moments after turning a corner, the man that constrained him stopped and pivoted, bringing into Roy's field of vision two figures inside the cell in front of him. One standing and dressed in military garb, leaning against a wooden cane.

And the other… A familiar blonde form sitting cross-legged on the floor a few feet from the first, her head in her hands.

For a moment, a look of surprise flashed across the aged General's face when he saw Roy Mustang accompanying his "trusted" subordinate. Once he had suppressed it, he smirked at the captured pair. "It seems I could not trust you after all, Lieutenant Colonel. Such a shame... I was hoping to have another _pawn _to manipulate."

Then, without warning the chimera that was restraining the Lieutenant Colonel reached up with one hand and grabbed his head. With one fluid motion, it twisted forcefully, successfully severing the military man's spinal cord with a loud _snap_.

Roy watched in shock as the once struggling man became limp in the beast's arms.

With nonchalance the General nodded toward the chimera responsible. "Please remove that at once."

After nodding in compliance, the Lieutenant Colonel's murderer turned on his heels and threw the man's lifeless form over his shoulder and lumbered back down the hallway from which they came.

Pushing through the horror and disgust that had set in his stomach, Roy struggled fruitlessly against his captor's grip as he focused his attention on the one he had come for.

She was watching him, her expression mixed with confusion and curiosity. However, just as soon as he had caught her eyes, she turned her head and focused on General Thomas, not so much as giving him a second glance.

"Riza," Roy cried out as he continued to struggle against the tightened grip around him.

She didn't even flinch, her gaze never faltering from Thomas.

His sadistic grin widening, Thomas shook his head and said, "Try again, Mustang."

"What did you do to her," Roy demanded through bared teeth as he narrowed his eyes.

Raising his brows in almost indifference, the General responded coolly, "I have done nothing, Mustang. I've merely worked with what the kind doctor provided me with. Had you actually_understood_ what the transmutation circle coded for, you might actually know." Turning his attention to the chimera that restrained Roy, he nodded.

Obeying his silent order, the beast loosened his grip on Roy, dropping him the floor.

In an instant Roy was on his feet, only to find the barrel of a gun pointed at his chest. "Don't move," the aged General hissed as he cocked his weapon.

"Leave us," Thomas commanded Roy's captor, focusing on him for a moment.

From behind him, Roy heard the rustle of fabric and the sound of heavy footfalls wandering away, disappearing down the corridor.

Turning his mad gaze back to Roy, the General chuckled darkly. "Now, don't try to be the hero. Because," he said as he trained the gun from Roy to point at Riza, "I will not hesitate to put a bullet in her head if so much as attempt to perform clap alchemy."

Roy slowly raised his hands in surrender. His eyes slowly wandering back down to her, he tried to appeal to her again. "Riza, please answer me…"

Again the General laughed wickedly. "You can call her name as often as you like, _General_, but she won't answer. To her you are nothing; merely another stranger that will come and go."

"What the hell does that mean?! What did you do," Roy spat venomously.

"Nothing. Just as I said before, Mustang," Thomas replied as the cocked his head to the side. "And here I thought having the former Fullmetal Alchemist on your side would have given you an advantage. Perhaps he needs to brush up on his alchemy, General," the man taunted.

"He did decode it," Roy corrected the man harshly. "And with the help of your subordinate, we've put the pieces together.

"You want war, but in order to win said war you need soldiers. Soldiers that would not hesitate to kill… So you take everything from them so that there is no reason not to." Balling his hands into fists, Roy's arms dropped to his side as he began to quake, his anger boiling just below the surface. "You're no better than the man that led this country before."

"I am doing what is best for this country, _Mustang_," Thomas sneered. "And if that means sacrificing a few lives for its sake, then I will not hesitate to."

Roy was trembling now, his vision becoming clouded by his rage. "Then why my men," he snarled as he clenched his fists tighter, digging his nails into his palms. "Why them?!"

The corners of the older General's mouth twitched. "Because a king without his loyalist subjects is nothing."

"And yet you sacrifice yours?!"

"As I said, sacrifices must be made. And if sacrificing their lives to prove a point is necessary, then so shall it be," Thomas spat.

"A point," Roy echoed in disbelief as he relaxed his fists.

"Yes; a point, General, "Thomas responded with a hint of self-satisfaction. "A point to prove that neither you nor your men are untouchable. That even they can fall when a stronger force is introduced."

"So you targeted my men first to prove a point," Roy tried to clarify as he slipped into a daze. "You did this to… Prove a point…" He took one step toward Thomas, then another.

Seeing the General's uncharacteristic approach, Thomas turned the barrel of his gun to Roy in silent alarm. "I said not to move!"

Roy ignored him and continued to advance forward, his head swimming with Thomas's words. _He did this to them to prove a point… He did this to _her _to prove a point…_

Losing his sense and logic and giving into his fury, Roy darted forward and rammed into Thomas, slamming him into the wall. Before the man could even react, Roy drew his fist back and drove it into his face.

Pulling it back once more, he did it again.

And again.

And again.

Ignoring the blood that spattered onto his face, Roy continued his barrage, driven by the taunting cackles that spewed from the other General's mouth.

_He did this._

Roy landed another punch, feeling the General's face give beneath the blow.

_He took her._

Another blow; this time dislocating the man's jaw.

_All to prove that-_

Before he could connect his bloodied, battered fist with the General's face again, something caught his wrist. Dazed, he turned to find that Riza had gotten up and wrapped her hands around his wrist. Through her overgrown fringe, he could see her widened, frightened eyes peering up at him.

Feeling his grip on Thomas's jacket loosen, he numbly released him, hearing the beaten man slide down the wall and hit the floor with a dull _thump_.

"Riza..." He slowly moved toward her, reaching his other hand out to her.

Suddenly she released her grip on his arm and raised her hands to either side of her head. With a cry of pain she stumbled backwards, crumbling to the ground.

"Riza!" Roy rushed forward and fell to his knees. "Are you-"

Her eyes flying open, she released one of her hands and lashed out at him, her nails tearing through the flesh on his face.

Roy instinctively drew back and grabbed his cheek in his hands, feeling the jagged, rough edges of the deep and fresh wound.

Pulling away, Riza withdrew backwards, increasing the distance between her and Roy. Backing into the wall, she curled her arms and legs up to her chest, watching him with panic-filled eyes.

Ignoring the throbbing in his cheek, Roy scrambled forward and reached for her again. She responded by swinging at him again.

Dodging her assault, he cried out her name again, trying to catch her eye. But she showed no signs of recognition, pushing herself as close to the wall as possible.

Finally, his eyes caught hers. They screamed of confusion and terror.

_**"I need you to listen to me..."**_

Roy shook his head and moved away from her. He couldn't think about this now...

_**"Riza... You can't expect me to do that..."**_

_**"You entrusted me with the same. If I were to stray from who I was..."**_

"Please... Say _something_," Roy begged. "You know- you know me," he said as his voice cracked.

_**"How do you know I would even follow through?"**_

_**"...Because you love me enough to..."**_

The further he backed away, the more relaxed she became. Slowly rising to his feet, he addressed her again. She watched him, but her eyes... She wasn't looking at him out of recognition; she was watching him in order to try and understand. He saw her eyes dart over to the bloodied and battered General lying motionlessly a few feet from them before resting on him again.

_**"An existence like that is not worth living. You know that, Roy..."**_

_**"I know..."**_

He reached into the pocket that lined the inner part of his jacket, the object she had given him becoming increasingly heavier.

_**"Riza, you know I would never let something like that happen. I will **_**always **_**be here with you..."**_

_**"I know..."**_

He had failed. Let his guard down and allowed them to take her.

He should have fought harder. He should have been stronger.

He had failed her.

"Riza..." He held his breath, praying that there would be some sign of recognition... But there was none.

She didn't lift her head, instead lowering it further.

She wasn't here anymore.

Everything that was "her" died the day they took her.

She was gone...

_**"I will **_**always**_** be here with you... Because I love you, Riza..."**_

His vision began to blur.

_It hurt._

_**"I will **_**always** _**be here..."**_

_It hurt._

_**"I know..."**_

_It hurt!_

* * *

_The instant their eyes had met, something within her surged, fighting desperately to surface. But the moment it got too far, a head-splitting pain tore through her skull._

_Crying out she stumbled backwards, trying feverishly to stop the seemingly endless agony. Her hands immediately went to her head, trying to ease it._

_But whatever _it _was, it was relentless._

_His pained, sorrowful eyes had done this; caused whatever it was to fight._

_Cracking one eye open, she realized that he was in front of her._

_He did this…_

_Releasing one of her hands, she swung viciously at him, her nails tearing into the flesh on his face. As he yelped in pain and sprang back, she saw a splash of blood decorate his cheek._

_She needed to get away now!_

_Pushing herself back as quickly as she could, she found that she had run herself into a corner._

_Turning back toward the intruder, she saw that he was suddenly there, practically on top of her._

_She responded by lashing out at him again, forcing him backwards._

_The further back he retreated, the less of him she could see through her increasingly blurring vision. And the more the pain began to recede…_

_He began speaking, causing her to fill with frustration. Didn't he realize she could not understand him? What did he want?_

_It couldn't be anything good… She pushed herself as closely to the wall as she could._

_Then he stopped and reached his trembling hand into his pocket, seconds later producing a shining black object._

_She stared as he looked down at it, as if considering it. He remained like that for what seemed like hours._

_Then he decided._

_Slowly he lifted it, pointing one end of it directly at her._

_She instantly recognized it as something bad._

_It was dangerous. _He _was dangerous._

_Every fiber of her being begged her to run. Her muscles tensed in anticipation of flight. But…_

_The surge of adrenaline never came._

_Instead, the thing that had fought so desperately to surface lightly nudged at her again, begging her to reconsider her notion of him._

_He wasn't dangerous, it told her._

_He was there to help, it said._

_He was there to make the pain stop._

_She slowly scanned her eyes up to his face, his visage mirroring what she felt inside: Fear. Pain. Hurting._

_He was there to make it stop._

_Her eyes lowered themselves to the black object._

That _would make it stop, it told her._

_Giving in to its explanation, she bowed her head in acceptance._

_He would make it stop…_

* * *

For a brief moment his trembling hand steadied, his finger finding the trigger of the gun.

_**"Because I love you..."**_

"... I'm sorry..."


	14. Fleeting Moment

Just as he felt the resistance the trigger posed against him, Roy froze.

Riza had slowly lifted her head and held his gaze for one moment before turning her heard sharply to the left, her eyes narrowed dangerously.

Just as Roy began to turn toward the supposed threat, he heard the _click _of a gun's safety being turned off. When he had moved his head fully, he was greeted by a pair of irate golden eyes.

Edward stood motionless and expressionless; his eyes and gun never wavering from the General.

"What-what are you-" Roy began before being cut off.

"I can ask you the same thing," Edward hissed as he narrowed his eyes. "So, what the hell do you think _you_ are doing?"

Slowly lowering his gun and allowing his arm to hang loosely at his side, Roy replied bitterly, "You know what she told me, _Fullmetal_. And you can see for yourself," he said as his voice cracked and his hands began to tremble, "That we were too late."

"So this is your solution," Edward growled, refusing to drop his weapon. "To give up? To stop fighting?! To take the easy way out!"

Roy visibly flinched. Out of the corner of his eye, he too saw Riza flinch and cautiously move back; still facing toward Edward.

Turning away slightly, trying desperately to hide the pain that had spread across his face, Roy murmured, "It's what she wanted… She trusted me with her life as much as I trusted her with mine."

For once Edward showed a hint of surprise in his eyes, though it was fleeting. "Yeah, I know," he replied hardly. "I was there on the Promised Day….

"But you know what else happened? _She_ talked you down. _You _got a second chance." His expression softening slightly, he added, "So you would think that she'd deserve one too."

"It… It isn't the same," Roy replied morosely.

How could it be? He had recognized her and what she was saying to him, what she would do in order to keep him on his path. But she… she didn't even know him anymore. He could see it in her eyes. Like Thomas had said: He was nothing to her…

"So you honestly think she's gone, huh? Well then," Edward stated bluntly as he repositioned his raised arm, "I'd like to test that theory."

Before Roy could even blink or fathom what the young man was planning, a shot rang out. Feeling the bullet hurtle just inches past his face, he stumbled backwards and crashed to the ground in shock. Struggling through the disorienting ringing in his ears, he tried pushing himself up to face Edward. "Why did you-"

But when he tried to look at Edward, he found that his view of him was blocked. Immediately he recognized the barrier between them as… Riza?

Left breathless and speechless, Roy could only stare, realizing that she had put herself between them… to protect him.

With one arm raised defensively toward Edward, Riza had her other hand planted on the ground behind her, keeping herself upright in an attempt to obstruct the former alchemist's view of him.

From in front of her, Roy heard the gun's safety being clicked back on and Edward fumbling with it as he stuffed it back into his pocket. "Yeah," the blond man retorted with bitter sarcasm, "She obviously isn't in there anymore."

* * *

The next twenty-four hours seemed to pass by in one large blur of confusion and chaos.

Word about the rogue General's plot spread through Central Headquarters like a virus, reaching the ears of every higher-up and cadet in a matter of hours.

Within that time, the members of the so-called "Council" that had pledged allegiance and loyalty to General Thomas were identified and apprehended by Lieutenant Colonel Armstrong and his men. For the time being, they were waiting on word of when Thomas would recover from the injuries sustained before he would be properly charged with conspiracy and crimes against humanity.

Among those apprehended was the supposed Doctor himself, who had eagerly and willingly agreed to tell them what he knew in exchange for life in prison as opposed to an eventual execution…

Looking back, they had been lucky that Lieutenant Colonel Wilson had gotten to them in time.

While Roy and his men were infiltrating the "doctor's" lair, Lieutenant Breda stayed behind to contact the Fuhrer's security detail and warn them of a possible attack. With the help of the best guardsmen in Xing, the Fuhrer was secured for his inevitably quick return back to Amestris.

But as the cacophony and madness began to die down, Roy slowly realized that everything was far from over. As he sifted through the mountains of notes and journals taken from Beller's office, he began to see more clearly what the man had done to try and accomplish what he had set out for: perfect, compliant soldiers.

From what he found, there were seventeen men previously deemed "missing in action" that may have fallen victim to the doctor's experiments over the span of a three year period.

None of them were among the sentient, competent chimera that were eventually caught, however.

No… They were amid the other tangled, disfigured creatures that were pulled from the cages and cells from the scene and taken to a laboratory for further evaluation.

The very thought that this had been happening under their noses for nearly three years made Roy feel sick to his stomach. The fact that they did not have an iota of an idea where these soldiers would have disappeared to before only made it worse.

Had Thomas been in on it the entire time? And if so, were these men specifically targeted by him? Or were they simply random, unfortunate lab rats that were merely in the wrong place at the wrong time?

And when Thomas _did _become involved… How long had he targeted Roy's own men?

The notion that he had watched and observed them in headquarters, at meetings, and in passing was almost unbearable.

How could he have been so blind…?

Hearing the door to his office slowly creak open, Roy lethargically turned to look over his shoulder at the blond young man that disrupted him. Casting him a weary glance, Roy mumbled, "Anything new?"

Shaking his head wistfully, Edward murmured "no" as he pushed the door closed behind him. "Still pacing," he added as he grimaced.

Roy knew that the young man was incredibly frustrated and angry, though he hid it well.

Edward wanted something else to happen, something to prove to him that what they did was right. Because every now and then Roy caught a glimmer of doubt in Edward's eyes that said even he was questioning if they had done the right thing…

Taking a step forward, Edward gestured to Roy. "How're you feeling?"

Reaching up absently to rub the gauze taped to his cheek, Roy admitted, "Sore. I think the pain medication is finally wearing off…" After forty-two stitches and an insane amount of medical glue, Dr. Knox admitted that he may need a surgeon to later correct the scarring that would likely occur from his wounds. "But I'm alright," he added quietly.

"That's good," Edward replied awkwardly as he shifted his weight from one foot to the other. After a few moments of silence, he asked, "So… Did you find anything?"

Turning back to the pile of papers on his desk, Roy said, "Admittedly, I haven't even gotten to his notes yet… Right now I'm looking at this." Grabbing the manila folder whose contents were spilled out in front of him, he returned to facing Edward, holding it up for him to see.

Carefully stepping forward, Edward decreased the distance between them, coming to a stop just a few feet from Roy. Taking the folder gingerly, he took a step back and opened it.

Roy watched as the young man's golden eyes widened slightly as they skimmed the page that was on top. After a few moments of reading, he flipped that page over and scanned the next one, repeating the process for a few pages until he finally shut it with a frustrated sigh. "Eighty-eight, huh?"

"Yes," Roy confirmed solemnly. "And aside from learning that, you probably noticed everything else inside?"

"Yeah," Edward mumbled. "A record of diet, behavior, health evaluations, and bloodwork to make sure body systems were working normally." Staring down at the accursed envelope, he bitterly said, "At the very least they were thorough and complete."

Nodding slowly in agreement, Roy noted, "They even kept files of the deceased." Observing Edward's confused expression, he explained, "In total there were eighty-eight files, but we only confiscated sixty-three… chimeras." He had trouble coming to terms with the word, choking it out whenever he uttered it. It left a bitter taste in his mouth.

"Anyways," he muttered as he slowly rose to his feet, "You should get some sleep. I'll take over from here."

However, Edward took a step back and eyed Roy thickly. "If you're tired, I don't mind staying up a while longer." Trying his best to smile reassuringly at the dark-haired man, he added, "Besides, it helps me think."

Shaking his head slowly, Roy dismissed Edward's claims. "You need to rest. From what I can tell tomorrow is going to be another long day." Taking a step toward the young blond, Roy reached out his hand. "I can take over from here."

Eyes darting about Roy's face for a while, Edward finally and reluctantly agreed to hand over his "post." Reaching into his pocket, he pulled out the pistol Roy had given him and slapped it into the General's hand. "I'll see you in a couple of hours then," he said quietly as Roy tightened his grip around it.

* * *

As Roy slowly and cautiously made his way down the staircase, he was surprised to see that, for once since they had gotten to his home, Riza was no longer pacing back and forth.

Instead, during the time that Edward had been up with him, she had stopped and decided to settle herself on one of the chairs in his living room. Although, it wasn't just any chair…

Unable to suppress the feeling of hopefulness this gave him, he couldn't help but smile slightly.

It was the same chair she had helped him pick out to accent the room after he cited his lack of "artistic sense." Though she had replied that she was no better at it than he, she still helped him make a decision. So whenever she came by to help him unpack boxes and get him settled into his new "estate," she'd always choose that chair to rest in.

By the time he had made it to the bottom of the stairs, she was more than aware of his presence. Pulling her legs up onto the chair, she hugged them tightly to her body as her ears fell flat against her skull in warning.

Moving tentatively around the radius of the chair, Roy seated himself on the couch furthest from her, raising his hands defensively.

She responded by narrowing her eyes, the corners of her lips twitching agitatedly.

As she watched him, he saw out of the corner of his eyes another slight movement. Eyes slowly training over to it, he realized that it was the tail she had masterfully kept hidden; hidden so well, in fact, that it had been the first time he had actually seen it. He watched as it curled itself around her legs in a sign of defense and worry.

From what he could tell in the dimly lit room, like her ears, it was a deep shade of silver that lightened to a bright blonde at the end.

He realized too late that he had been staring for too long.

In one swift movement, she shifted and it disappeared behind her. Moving again, she leaned against one side of the chair in an attempt to hide it further, her eyes darting down to look at the floor.

Roy knew that look from her anywhere. Though it was rarely painted across her face, he was still able to identify it.

Simply put, it was embarrassment.

He watched as her eyes moved from him back to the floor over and over again, displaying her sudden onset of discomfort.

In an attempt to put her at ease, he slid further back into the couch and relaxed himself, trying to present himself as a non-threat.

Finally she accepted it, she herself relaxing as she rested her head against the chair's headrest.

For what seemed like an hour, Roy sat and studied her out of the corner of his eye, trying to work up the courage to test his theory. After contemplating it and wracking his brain, he finally relented and spoke softly, his voice barely above a whisper. "Eighty-eight, huh?"

For the first time since she had relaxed, he saw her flinch as her ears slowly raised toward him. Turning her head ever so slightly, she cast her wary gaze toward him in recognition, causing his stomach to lurch in anger.

So he was right…

As she leaned her head back against the chair and closed her eyes, Roy murmured, "That will be the first thing we tackle tomorrow," as he made himself comfortable in anticipation for the long night ahead.

* * *

Roy awoke with a start as the scents of food wafted under his nose. Frowning in confusion, he stumbled out of bed and clumsily made his way down the winding staircase.

Making his way into the kitchen, he was greeted by Edward Elric doing something he had never thought he'd see… Cooking.

His back turned to him, Edward hadn't noticed his presence, muttering to himself as he added a few additional ingredients to whatever he was making.

Slowly peeling his eyes away from the young man, Roy's eyes wandered over to the kitchen table where he found Riza seated. It surprised him seeing her so… curious, though that was exactly what she was. However, she quickly sensed his presence, turning toward him in slight surprise; although she hastily looked away and down toward the floor.

Taking a slow step forward, Roy cleared his throat, resulting in a yelp of surprise from Edward. Whirling around, his eyes immediately went to Riza first. Once realizing that she was still where he had last seen her, Edward's eyes darted back to Roy. Groaning, he grumbled, "Mind being a little less sneaky next time?"

Ignoring the young blond's grumpy morning demeanor, Roy asked, "What is all of this?"

Turning back to the stove, Edward shrugged his shoulders. "I figured I'd try and whip something together with what little food you have, since we all didn't really eat yesterday." After a quick pause, he added, "Plus I wanted to try and pull something together that Hawkeye would actually be able to eat."

"Well, thank you," Roy murmured in surprise.

Looking back over his shoulder at him, Edward scowled. "Don't get used to it, General Bastard, 'cause I sure as hell am not cooking for you the whole time I'm here."

"Wasn't even thinking of it," Roy replied mildly, trying his best to hide his smirk.

It turns out Winry _did _domesticate him…

"So," Edward began again, his tone serious, "What's the plan?"

"I was thinking that we'd try and work on remembering names to start," Roy answered. "I would prefer not to call my Captain 'Eighty-eight' longer than necessary."

Out of the corner of his eye, he saw Riza's head turn toward him.

Also apparently seeing it, Edward cast a weary glance over his shoulder at the General. "Yeah… It's definitely worth a shot," he answered honestly. "As soon as I- Fuck!"

Startled by Edward's cursing, Roy realized that whatever he had in the pan on the stove had begun to burn. Rushing forward, he grabbed the pan's handle and hurried it over to the sink, black smoke billowing from it along the way. Dropping it into the sink, he quickly clapped his hands together, pulling the oxygen around the ruined dish away from it.

In an instant the smoke dissipated and the small flame that had formed on top of it vanished with the lack of fuel.

With a sigh Roy turned on the faucet and let the cool water run over the dish and muttered, "I hope this isn't a sign of how today will go."

* * *

Unfortunately it appeared that Roy had jinxed them.

Once the commotion about the ruined breakfast died down, they decided to move on to what Roy had planned. However, it proved to be almost next to impossible to get Riza to comply.

The excitement and yelling had obviously startled her, making her even more distrustful of them… If that was even possible.

After finally convincing her to follow them to the living room, she seemed to blatantly refuse to participate further, glancing away in frustration every time Roy tried addressing her. Even sitting at eye-level on the floor did no good.

He tried every combination of names that she would recognize: _Riza_, _Riza_ _Hawkeye_, just _Hawkeye_, _Captain_, _Lieutenant_. And even _Elizabeth…_

But none of them even seemed to even faze her.

Testing the parameters, Roy would every now and then slip "Eighty-eight" into the mix, which she would recognize every time without fail.

He knew that he wore the same expression Edward displayed every time it happened: Pain and failure.

At times he wanted to give up. It obviously didn't look like it was even helping.

In fact, it almost seemed as if it was making things worse.

No doubt he had failed at hiding his emotions, letting his frustration slip through the cracks of the wall he tried to construct in his expression.

But this slip was enough to make her frustrated and agitated with him, oftentimes presenting itself in the form of a low grumble or her pushing herself further away from him.

When the sun had sunk low enough to cast wide and long shadows through the massive windows of his home and across the floor, Edward finally cleared his throat, breaking all of them from their concentration. "I have to go and get ready to receive a call from Al," he wistfully murmured as he stood up off of the floor and stretched. "He should be in Asoko, Nippon by now."

Nodding languidly toward the former alchemist, Roy silently excused him.

After Edward had finally gotten a hold of Alphonse, the young alchemist and May Chang quickly made their way back toward the West in order to help them. So far, they were about a five weeks journey away…

Once Edward had left the room and gone upstairs, Roy looked back toward Riza, whom had also watched the young man go. As soon as he disappeared, she turned her eyes back toward Roy, though only for a moment. Casting them downward, she stared at the floor and folded her hands in her lap, effectively closing him out.

In one large surge, the feelings of bitterness and defeat crashed down inside of him. Burying his face into his hands, he squeezed his eyes shut and sat motionlessly, allowing the ache of his failure to set in and pool there.

It hurt all over again; the realization that he had failed yet again.

No matter how hard he tried, it wouldn't be enough.

What would they do now? What could they _possibly _do to fix this?

If she couldn't even understand her own name, how in the hell would she be able to comprehend what they were doing when they attempted the reversal?

Well… She wouldn't.

If she wouldn't allow them to do it, then what were they supposed to do?

He had gone against her wishes, gone _behind her back_; only for it to fail….

What would they do?

What would they do?

_What would they do?!_-

His thoughts were abruptly interrupted when a shadow fell across his face. Jerking his hands away, he found a hand hovering inches from his cheek.

Withdrawing it slightly, Riza curled her fingers into her hand in surprise at his sudden movement. Slowly, however, her hand again moved forward; her eyes wandering over to the bandage on his cheek. Gently brushing her fingertips against it, she exhaled quietly.

He dared not move, watching her intently as she continued to peer at the gauze.

However, the instant her eyes wandered over to his and locked on them, she quickly retracted her hand and pushed herself away from him, raising it to her head with a sharp gasp of pain.

As she tried to increase the distance between them, Roy suddenly realized it.

Even if it was for one fleeting moment, he saw what he was looking for.

In that one moment, he saw recognition.

* * *

**A/N**_**: **__I know that there are still questions left, but know that they will all be answered in time (especially with how quickly everything was laid out in the beginning of the second section of this chapter)! But if you have any in the meantime, let me know!_

_So, now in the final arc of the story (though it's longer than the rest; it can almost be considered two arcs). I'd expect this fic to be no more than 25 chapters long overall._

_Fun fact! In case you were wondering where I got "Eighty-Eight" from, it was actually the number of my bone box for canine anatomy this year. O.o_

_Anyways, thank you to all that have favorited, followed, and reviewed so far! You guys are great!_


	15. The Uninvited Guest

_No._

_Sprinting forward, Roy fell to his knees and gathered Riza's lifeless form in his arms. Rocking her gently, he cried out, "Riza; answer me… Please!"_

_She did not respond; her empty, mahogany eyes staring up blankly at him, completely devoid of life._

_Trembling with fear and disbelief, he reached up to apply pressure to the wound on her chest in an attempt to staunch the seemingly endless flow of blood that ran from its single wound when he suddenly froze._

_In his hand was a pistol, the barrel still smoking from a freshly fired shot._

_Releasing his grip on it, he watched in horror as it clattered to the ground._

_No._

_He didn't…_

_He'd never-!_

_Roy begged and pleaded for her to answer, but to no avail._

_Now he could only sit in stunned disbelief._

_No…_

_He didn't… He couldn't…_

_He'd never kill her-!_

* * *

Waking suddenly in a sea of sweat-soaked sheets, Roy flew up into a sitting position and buried his head in his hands. Sucking in a deep breath, he slowly exhaled, his fingers trembling uncontrollably.

_Calm down_, he commanded himself silently as his body still quaked. _It was only a nightmare…_

But it felt so real…

Feeling wet fabric clinging to his chest, his hands went up to clutch it, his eyes frantically darting downward to search it. Much to his relief, it was only saturated in sweat.

No blood…

_There was so much blood_…

Taking another deep breath, Roy let his head hang down, resting his chin against his chest. He could still feel his heart racing frantically beneath his skin.

It was only a nightmare… It wasn't real…

And yet… The despair and excruciating pain from it continued to endure…

* * *

Three days had passed since he saw the recognition in her eyes. And, much to his displeasure and frustration, she hadn't shown it since, although her eyes often continued to wander over to the bandage on his face.

Still he continued to speak to her, instead trying to see if she would recognize his name at all. In doing so he discovered that his name piqued her interest, which she showed by tilting her head ever so slightly whilst raising a brow; although, she still did not seem to recognize it. In a way, however, the interest she showed was strangely comforting, giving him a fleeting feeling of hope whenever she did.

Something he also noticed in the span of those few days was that Riza was again becoming more comfortable around him, sitting closer and closer each time he sat down next to her. And to his relief, when he talked animatedly whilst using his hands, she no longer flinched when he raised them above a certain level.

He and Edward both tried hard not to imagine the reasons behind her cringe, but Roy knew that they both had their own similar theories.

For now they had to work on trust because they were actually getting somewhere…

Surprised by a knock on the door, Roy was pulled from his thoughts. Reluctantly standing, he hurried out of the room and to the front door. Upon opening it, he was greeted by Dr. Arnold Pace; the very last man he wanted to see.

"Can I help you," Roy asked bluntly.

Eyeing the man over the rims of his half-mood glasses, the older man replied, "You know why I'm here, General; so let's cut to the chase."

Narrowing his eyes, Roy answered, "No, I don't know why you're here. I was never told that I should expect you."

Raising his brows incredulously, the doctor stated, "You knew that I would _eventually _come, did you not? After all, I am the head researcher on chimerical alchemy."

Upon hearing the word, Roy shuddered visibly.

"It seems I struck a nerve," Dr. Pace muttered. "My apologies, General. Now, may I please come in?"

Roy reluctantly pushed the door open and stepped to the side, leaving just enough space for the doctor to walk inside. Stomping his feet on the rug in order to shake off some of the mud that had accumulated on his boots, the man looked up at Roy expectantly. "I'm ready when you are."

Brushing off the man's nonchalance, Roy walked briskly toward the living room while trying to remain relaxed; although on the inside he felt nauseous. The doctor had obviously finished examining and determining the fates of the chimera they had confiscated. Now, he assumed, the man felt obliged to "drop in" and "examine" one more, probably thinking that _he _would be the one to determine her fate.

…As if Roy would actually let him…

"In here," Roy reluctantly said as he led the doctor into his living room. Ignoring the fact that the doctor immediately stopped walking upon entering the room, Roy continued to the couch and sat down. Much to his surprise, Riza slid over next to him; so close that she was almost touching him. He then watched as her eyes darted upward, slowly following the doctor's movements as he seated himself in the chair across from the couch.

Dr. Pace glanced up and acknowledged Edward, whom had followed in after him and settled in the armchair that Riza had favored.

With a light nod, Edward mumbled back a reply. He did not even bother to mask his disapproving glare.

Brushing off this less than inviting welcome, Dr. Pace focused his curiosity on the blonde woman in front of him, who now had her eyes focused on the ground, ears pinned back against her head in apprehension.

After studying her for a few moments longer, Pace turned his glance toward Roy. "Any attempts at speaking," he inquired.

Trying his best to hide his disappointment, Roy shook his head slowly. "No. Right now we are focusing on recalling names and faces. A few days ago she showed signs of recognition"

Frowning at that, Dr. Pace asked, "But are you really helping her to remember or are you _teaching _her names?"

Feeling his mask fall, Roy muttered, "What exactly do you mean?"

As the man opened his mouth to explain, Riza suddenly shifted, raising her arm toward him while burying her face into Roy's shoulder.

His eyes widening slightly, the doctor reached forward and gently took her wrist in one hand while using the other to push the sleeve of her shirt up. After studying her arm for a moment, he furrowed his brow and frowned.

"What is it," Roy asked, trying to keep from sounding alarmed.

"See these here," he gestured to a series of small dark spots on her arm. "These are from needles, most likely used to draw blood based on their locations around the vein."

Folding his arms, Roy replied, "I know. I saw the bloodwork in the file we confiscated. They did it almost every day to check body function."

Still looking down at them, the doctor nodded. "I can see that. Although… That wasn't what I was surprised about."

Knitting his brow together confusedly, Roy said, "Care to elaborate?"

"Well, I was genuinely startled by the fact that she offered her arm without that even being the topic of our discussion. To me that suggests conditioning.* I'm sure that if I wasn't sporting my white jacket, she would not have acted in this manner," he said matter-of-factly.

"Conditioning," Roy echoed back in disgust.

"Yes," Dr. Pace replied, as if it were obvious from the moment he walked in. "So it's not that she understands us. Rather, she is simply reacting to my white lab coat, since it appears that the so-called "Dr. Beller" also sported one.

"Which leads me to seriously questioning your supposed commitment, General. You may think that you are helping her to remember, but most likely you are only conditioning her to her name and other memories and mannerisms. To be honest, I highly doubt that what you saw was recognition, and doubt that any of those memories remain intact in her mind. And that," he said as he pulled the photograph of the transmutation circle out of his pocket and pointed to a particular spot on it, "Is because of this.

"You need to read your arrays with better understanding, sir. I have been in practice for thirty-six years and have seen all kinds of circles. This is exceptionally rare, but it has still stuck out to me plain as day. Here," he said as he jabbed his finger toward one of the runes, "Is the symbol for 'soul.' And do you see this," Dr. Pace asked as he traced the line running through it.

"Yes," Roy muttered as he narrowed his eyes and leaned forward. Edward too did the same, falling into a state of deep concentration.

"This line represents 'transection,' or 'to cut through.' So it literally means to 'transect the soul.'" Shaking his head, he added, "I am not optimistic whatsoever, General. And if you are going to continue living in this fallacy, it is going to be more difficult for you to say goodbye when the government decides to act in your stead."

"If you are suggesting that the government is going to take her, then I advise that you spread your hearsay elsewhere," Roy replied bluntly.

Shaking his head again, the doctor muttered bitterly, "You are too narrow-minded to even see your absurdity, General." Snatching his hat from the table beside him, he thrust it onto his head and stood from his chair. "I've seen enough. If you are so hellbent on seeing her suffer, then be my guest."

"Gladly," Roy retorted sarcastically as he eased away from Riza and stood. "I'll show you out."

Leading Pace to the door, Roy opened it and motioned for him to leave. With a quick bob of his head, the doctor briskly stepped outside. Before going further, however, he turned around and addressed him one more time. "I also have a message for you, General. You see, the Fuhrer was the one that sent me-"

Of course.

"-And he has requested your attendance at an obligatory meeting tonight at his residence at seven-o-clock sharp."

Roy's lip twitched agitatedly, yet he replied coolly, "Tell the Fuhrer that I will be there promptly at six-thirty then."

Nodding toward him one final time, Dr. Pace replied, "I shall let him know." Turning back to the pathway, the doctor took a few additional steps before one last thought crossed his mind. Whirling back around to face the General, he added, "I _will_ be seeing you soon."

Before the man could comment further, Roy abruptly slammed the door shut.

* * *

"Here are a few more that I found," Roy said as he shoved the stack of photo albums toward Edward a little more forcibly than he meant to.

Trying to balance the awkward addition to the already growing pile in his arms, Edward mumbled, "Alright, alright. I think that's enough."

Roy sighed, trying his best to push away his feelings of worry and dread. "I'm sorry, Ed. I just want to make sure that I gave you what I had."

Trying his best to flash him a small smile, Edward said, "I think that you have, so don't worry about it. We'll take a look through these and see if she recognizes anything. And once we're done," he nodded toward the photograph of the array the doctor had used, "I'll take another look at that. Because what he doesn't know is that I've done my research too, and I'm skeptical about what he claims to see."

"Alright," Roy replied as he relaxed slightly. After pausing to think about if he had missed anything or not, a nearly lost thought crossed his mind. "I wrote down the Fuhrer's phone number and left it in the kitchen in case-"

"Seriously," Edward balked in annoyance. "God, I hope you don't have kids someday. If this is how you act when-"

"Are you suggesting that you find this funny," Roy snarled, his composure slipping away. "Because if you do, then I suggest you _leave_."

Surprised by the older man's sudden outburst, Edward took a moment to process it before quickly turning defensive, "If I did, then maybe you'd finally get the idea that someone was actually on your side through your thick skull."

"If you're on our side, then why the fuck would you even make a joke like that," Roy demanded venomously, refusing to back down.

"Alright, I admit it; that was stupid. You can't blame me for trying to find some light in this dark hellhole we've found ourselves in." Narrowing his golden eyes, Edward hissed, "You aren't the only one that didn't like what Pace said, you know. So stop acting like you're the only one that's suffering." Taking another step forward, his face inches from Roy's, the former alchemist continued without holding back, "I left my pregnant wife at home to be here for you. If I wanted to, I really could just leave and go back home to her-"

He was right. Slowly taking a step backwards, Roy realized that he was so right. He wasn't forcing Edward to be there. He didn't _have_ to at all…

Was this how he truly felt?

Roy was suddenly taken aback, however, when he heard the blond man's tone change.

"-But I won't yet… I made a promise to see this through until the end." His golden glare becoming increasingly softer, Edward continued, "I want to help, but you have to see that even if it seems like it, not everyone is against you."

Closing his eyes and rubbing the bridge of his nose, Roy took another step backwards. After feeling the rage slowly melt away, he took a deep breath and exhaled. "…I'm sorry… I wasn't thinking." He had let his emotions and stress get the better of him…

Opening his eyes wearily, he muttered, "I honestly wouldn't blame you if you decided to go."

After accepting the General's apology, Edward said, "It's fine. Besides," he said as he shot Roy the faintest of smiles, "I can't go back anyways. Winry kicked me out."

"What," Roy asked in disbelief, feeling guilt suddenly flood his gut.

"Yeah," Edward replied as he shrugged, his smile widening, "She told me that I couldn't go back until I either fixed Hawkeye or her water broke. So if you want me to get out of your hair, we need to come up with a plan fast."

Roy was at a loss for words. Despite everything he has said and done, Edward still refused to give up. "I…" he slowly began, feeling his faith swell up inside of him, "I… don't know what to say."

"Just say 'thank you' and get off to the meeting. The sooner you get back, the sooner we can get back to work," Edward replied as he set the stack of photo albums down and picked one up, flipping it open in his arms.

"I…"

Edward shot the man a look of false annoyance, his golden eyes flashing with the same confidence and fire Roy had first witnessed nearly eight years prior.

After clenching his jaw shut, Roy opened his mouth again and replied, "Thank you," finally allowing a small smile to spread across his face.

* * *

When Roy walked back into his house and closed the door behind him, he leaned back heavily against it and rubbed his eyes tiredly.

The meeting could have gone _a lot_ better.

He should have known that Dr. Pace would immediately call Fuhrer Grumman with his report the second he was able to.

Of course the Fuhrer was upset. Angry. Pained… They all were.

The conclusion they had come to was one that he agreed with, however…

He now realized how eerily silent the house was. Pushing himself off the door he slowly ventured forward, making his way toward the living room. As he rounded the corner, he saw one lone lamp that had been left on.

Approaching it with the intent to turn it off, he stopped, realizing that someone was using it; or rather, was at some point. As he crept forward he saw that Edward was resting his elbow on the couch's armrest, his cheek resting heavily on his fist. In his lap Roy could see one of the photo albums he had given him opened up to a random page.

Next to him, her body angled mostly away from the former alchemist, was Riza, her head resting ever so slightly against Edward's shoulder. Stepping closer, Roy saw that she was clutching a crumbled up photograph in one of her hands. Trying to make out which one it was, Roy slowly advanced but then froze.

Riza slowly opened her eyes and focused on him. Pushing herself upright, she clenched the photograph tighter in her hands and drew it closer to herself, eying him warily.

With a snort, Edward raised his head and turned it back and forth after being awoken by the sudden decrease in pressure on his shoulder. Blinking a few times to try and rid himself of his sleep-filled eyes, Edward too looked up at Roy. "Hey," he mumbled, his voice gravelly from his nap, "What time is it?"

Squinting down at his watch, Roy murmured, "About twelve-thirty."

"Damn," Edward groaned as he stretched, "That was a long meeting."

"Yeah," Roy replied half-heartedly as he eyed the photo album in Edward's lap. "So how did it go?"

Edward raised and lowered his shoulders. "Alright, actually; after she stopped looking for you and pacing after you left." Moving his hand down to the album, he looked down and examined the photos. "She identified you almost every time, regardless of your age, whenever I said your name." Flipping the page and pointing to one of the entire Mustang team, including himself and Alphonse, he added, "And she identified me about half of the time, though newer pictures were considerably easier…

"Although, I have to say that she identified you every single time I called you General Bastard."

"What," Roy practically yelled, causing Riza to jump slightly.

Rolling his eyes, Edward muttered, "I was kidding; I said 'Roy' every time."

Sighing, Roy sat in the armchair opposite the table with the lap and rubbed his eyes. "I'm not in a joking mood, _Fullmetal_."

"...Right," Edward replied. Suddenly his demeanor changed, any bit of playfulness or confidence slipping off his face. Clearing his throat, he stood up and stretched anxiously. "You mind if I talk to you for a second?"

Roy's eyes wandered over to Riza, who was no longer paying the pair any heed, her eyes focused down on the picture in her hands. "Sure," he said slowly as Edward walked past him and toward the staircase.

When the blond led him up to the second level, Roy continued to follow him until Edward led him to his office. Closing the door behind him, Roy asked, "What is this about exactly?"

Sighing heavily, Edward leaned against Roy's desk and massaged the bridge of his nose. Without looking up, he muttered, "Pace was right. There was more to the circle than I thought…"

"How is that possible," Roy asked, trying his best not to show his alarm.

Looking down toward the floor, Edward continued, "It wasn't copied down correctly in my notes… You know the lines he pointed out? When I scribed it, I drew them as going around the rune instead of going through it. And unfortunately," he said as he sighed again, "What I saw tonight confirmed what he had said…"

"What did you see," Roy pressed, the panic in his voice ill-masked.

Looking up, Edward's eyes caught Roy's. "You know how you said she acts like she's in pain every time she looks into your eyes? Well, she did that tonight too if she looked at a photograph for too long… And now I know why…" His eyes filling with pain, he uttered, "The only way we _can_ fix this is with human transmutation."

* * *

"_So… He's finally figured it out… Things have certainly gotten interesting, haven't they_," the pale silhouette said as it chuckled, directing Its question toward the blonde woman that was seated cross-legged in front of it.

Frowning, the woman's sherry eyes narrowed, searching the creature's face with contempt.

Its grin widening, the Truth quipped, _"I wonder what they would be willing to sacrifice for you."_

* * *

**A/N:**_*And in case you aren't familiar with psychology, conditioning is a type of behavior modification made famous by Pavlov and his dogs. Pretty much, he "conditioned" the dogs to salivate when a bell was rung because after he rung it, he would often feed the dogs. He did it so many times that they would drool after he rang the bell, even when he didn't provide food._


	16. Monster

"I… don't understand," Roy answered uneasily.

"It's like this," Edward murmured in reply as he picked up a rubber band from Roy's desk. Sticking his two pointer fingers through it, he held it up for Roy to see. "When you transect something, you cut across it. The transmutation circle called for transecting the soul, so only a fraction of it was cut through. And in this case, it was everything that makes Hawkeye… well, Hawkeye. Her memories, her thoughts, her feelings… You said before it was her heart; and in a way, it was.

"They kept enough of her soul intact in order to continue living, yet took enough so that she was in a basic state of mind… A tabula rasa or 'blank slate' you could say.

"But the thing is," he continued grimly, "The circle called for too many things to happen. It would seem that even a Philosopher's Stone and the soul of an animal weren't enough to get it all done because the soul was not human itself. As a result, there was not enough payment to complete everything necessary."

"So what does that have to do with the way she is acting," Roy asked slowly, unsure of where the blond was going.

"You know how humans are composed of body, spirit, and soul," Edward asked. After a nod from Roy, he continued. "Well, the goal was to completely sever the connection of the spirit to that portion of her soul… Only it didn't. So now it's bouncing back between the Truth and her body." Pulling his fingers apart slightly, he displayed how the tautness of the rubber band brought his two fingers back together. "At first it was easy for that part of the soul to return to and retain its position in her body because of the body's firm hold on it. But," he continued pulling his fingers apart and bringing them back together, stretching out the rubber band as he did so, "As time went on, the strain on the spirit caused it to stretch and contort, making it easier for the body to give up that fragment of her soul, though it still has a connection to it.

"So that's why she didn't forget the moment the transmutation was completed; because the soul's bond with her body was strong enough to keep it." Separating his two fingers once again, he stretched the rubber band out further than he had before and held it there. "But the Truth always gets what it wants, so even though that fragment of her soul continued existing here, Its hold was still strong enough to apply stress to the spirit so that it will eventually loosen," he pulled them as far apart as he could, resulting in the rubber band snapping, "And break."

"And… Is it broken," Roy asked with trepidation and disbelief.

Edward shook his head. "No… Not yet. And it's because she's showing signs of pain that you can tell." Bending over, he picked up the severed band and held it in the palm of his hand, examining it as he said, "The body and maybe even a fraction of the soul that remains recognizes you especially. In order to better understand these feelings of recognition, it draws on the part of the soul that _does_ recognize you. The issue is that that part of the soul is becoming so foreign, that when it does enter the body, it rejects it. And rejection," he murmured as he pushed the rubber band around absently, "Is excruciatingly painful."

"What-what happens if it breaks," Roy reluctantly asked, although he knew the answer deep down.

Looking up at him and meeting Roy's dark eyes with his golden ones, Edward wistfully replied, "Then that part of her goes to the Gate. Only then," he paused for a moment to collect his thoughts, "It will be unattainable. Because once the connection with the spirit is severed, it cannot be reformed; it would vanish almost instantly. That's why we can't bring back the souls of those who have died…"

"Then what can we do," Roy asked with desperation.

Watching Roy intently, Edward said, "As long as the spirit is still connected, then there's still a chance at reclaiming that fragment of her soul. But… I don't know how we're going to do it yet. What I do know is that it will require human transmutation…"

Unable to find any words, Roy remained silent, taking it all in.

That was the only answer; to perform the taboo. Otherwise that part of her would die… And she would be lost to them forever…

"My Gate," Roy murmured under his breath, coming to a rapid conclusion.

Eyeing the Flame Alchemist carefully, Edward asked, "What was that?"

"My Gate," Roy repeated louder. "If I can sacrifice my Gate in exchange for-"

"No," Edward cut in as he shook his head, "That might not work-"

"Why," Roy cried out in desperation. "For what reason-"

"Who's to say she even has a Gate anymore," Edward answered definitively. "If she doesn't, then the second you give yours up you two will be stuck there. If you think it's hard pulling one person out of the Gate, imagine trying to reclaim _two_."

"She must have one though! How else could her soul get back here," Roy asked, trying to find something, anything that could be considered a loophole.

"Just because that part of her soul is able to transcend the boundary doesn't necessarily mean it's traveling through a Gate," Edward pointed out. "When Al's body called to his soul, all he remembers is waking up at the Gate or back in his armor when his blood seal dragged him back. The only time he remembers his soul traveling through the Gate is on the Promised Day.

"It's entirely possible that souls exclusively travel through a Gate, but without knowing definitively, there is always a chance they don't. And if that's so, you would be stuck there or have to exchange something of equal value… And I don't know what that could be."

Feeling his knees weaken, Roy reached out and clumsily groped for the wall, leaning into it once he found it.

What could he give up? Or better yet, what _wouldn't _he give up for her? His thoughts began to race as he contemplated all of the things he would sacrifice in order to bring her back.

What could it be? What could equal the value of what made her everything she was?

Seeing a shadow looming over him, Roy looked up to see Edward. His facial expression suggested that he had asked Roy a question. But honestly, he wasn't listening…

"We can consider what we're going to do after you tell me this: How much time do we have?"

"…What," Roy asked in confusion. How would he know? He hadn't a clue as to what state her spirit was in…

Seeing Roy's dazed expression, Edward elaborated, "What did the Fuhrer say? Did he tell you if or when the state would act or not?"

With all of the thoughts jumbling around in his head, Roy struggled to recall his conversation with the Fuhrer. After thinking about it for a few moments, he muttered, "We have time… He understands what we are doing and is willing to let us continue as long as…" He trailed off, losing himself in thought once again.

"As long as what," Edward asked with a hint of urgency in his voice.

"As long as… She doesn't hurt us or herself," Roy murmured in reply as he reached up to touch the bandage on his cheek.

Edward watched as he did so, his attention now focused to the large gauze patch on his face. His face twisting in discomfort, he muttered, "How is it?"

Still touching it absently, Roy muttered, "It's fine… Although it's still sore."

"Mind if I take a look," Edward said softly, his voice tinted with concern.

Roy eyed him for a moment, studying the young man's face. There was no getting it past him… Sighing heavily, he slowly peeled the bandage off his face as his eyes moved to focus on the floor. Once it was completely removed, he saw a look of disapproval cross Edward's face.

After remaining silent for a moment, Edward growled, "Well I can see why the Fuhrer would have that concern if he saw the state your face was in."

"It's nothing," Roy responded, trying to appear unconcerned.

"Nothing," Edward echoed it as a question. "You think that neglecting it is going to help our case?!"

Brushing his fingers over the sutures on his cheek, Roy replied, "At most it's a small infection. I've already called Dr. Knox about it. He said he would bring over antibiotics tomorrow."

Relaxing slightly, Edward backed off. "If you say so," he retorted, his eyes once again traveling to the stitched up wound. "Let's just make sure nothing else happens, okay?"

"Right," Roy agreed as he began to replace the gauze patch. However, just as he was about to retape it, they both heard a loud crash. Throwing the other a panicked look, the pair quickly raced into the hallway and flew toward the stairs, heading toward the noise.

Upon reaching the bottom of the stairs, Roy was immediately filled with dread when he saw that Riza was not longer where he had last seen her. Twisting around in a fit of panic, he desperately tried to locate her. Deciding on a direction, he bolted down the hallway and toward where he believed the sound to have originated from. Racing around the corner he stopped suddenly, causing Edward to crash into him and nearly force him over.

Standing in front of them was Riza, the shattered remains of the hallway's mirror scattered around her. Staring at the frame that once housed the glass, she remained unmoving, holding her bloodied right hand in her left as a considerable amount of blood trickled down her arm.

Seemingly unfazed by their presence, she held her hand closer to herself as she took a deep, shaking breath and whispered something Roy had hoped he would never hear her say:

"Monster."

* * *

After watching _them_ leave and disappear, she looked down at the paper in her hands, studying it.

There appeared to be two people stuck inside of this paper. One that was obviously the dark-haired man, but the other… She wasn't sure.

Narrowing her eyes, she tried to recall what the golden-eyed man had called it. Unable to remember, she sighed, letting out a low and frustrated growl as she lowered her arm, still keeping a tight hold on the paper.

If she stared at it for too long, then _it_ would try pushing again.

It had started doing it more and more frequently now. It was especially forceful this night, when the golden-eyed man pointed out the prisoners in paper. When he said a certain noise and she pointed out one of the captives, he would often show his teeth and say something excitedly.

So she played along.

After a while, however, her head began to spin and ache as _it_ tried to play along to. It _knew _them. And as a result, it pushed and pushed until the hurt became unbearable.

Seeing this, the golden-eyed man stopped and picked up another paper; this one, however, had a variety of shapes in it and no people. It looked dull, thus causing her to lose interest.

It wasn't long after she had fallen asleep that the dark-haired man came back, which caused her heart to leap in her chest. At the same time, however, _it _also decided to push her again. Looking down at the paper helped alleviate it… slightly.

Now they were gone and had taken their worry with them and she was alone.

Good… The further the dark-haired one got, she found, the better she felt…

No longer able to think about the paper and the two people inside of it, she decided it was best to sleep. After standing and stretching, she stumbled forward as a rush of pain tore through her head.

_It _was still there…

Staggering, she tried desperately to make it stop as she used one hand to guide her along the hallway and the other to grip her throbbing skull.

When she moved forward again, the hand that was against the wall suddenly ran across something hanging on it. Reluctantly raising her head to see what it was, she saw someone else staring back.

She had blonde-hair. Saffron colored eyes. Silver ears…

Suddenly, _it_ pushed again. This time as forcibly as possible.

The force which with it exerted this pressure had become so unbearable, so strong that it had begun to form words and sounds.

"_**I'm frightened."**_

"_**How can I continue following you when I'm like this?"**_

"_**It hurts…"**_

"_**At least something good has come of this…"**_

"_**Let them go!"**_

"_**You entrusted me…"**_

"_**It's not your fault… It never was."**_

"_**I **_**trusted **_**you."**_

"_**I love you too…"**_

"_**Roy…"**_

"_Monster_…"

Looking up, she saw the one in the glass looking back at her, saffron-colored eyes widened in despair.

Suddenly, she realized that _it_… _She_… Had said it.

The way the word had sunk in and sat there… It made her heart ache and throb.

She didn't disagree with it because she realized that _it _**was **her.

But it shouldn't be…

The longer she stared, the more she loathed what was looking back.

It wasn't right. _Nothing _was right.

It kept watching; anguish painted across its face.

She wanted it to stop.

It wasn't right.

It needed to s_top._

She suddenly found her fist connecting with it, causing the image to fracture and crack before it shattered, sending hundreds of fragments of glass crashing to the floor below.

The resulting noise sounded off like an alarm, because within what seemed like mere moments, she heard _them _racing toward her. But even when they stopped, she didn't draw her focus away from where the image had been, too dazed and pained to move.

The word _hurt_, but that didn't stop her from whispering it again as she held her lacerated and bleeding hand closer to herself.

"Riza…"

She stopped, slowly allowing her eyes to wander toward _him._

The way he uttered that word was so… familiar.

The way he said it made her heart skip.

But the warm feeling that filled her quickly vanished when she looked into his anguished, grief-stricken face.

It was enough for the force to push just a little more, causing a wave of agony magnitudes above what it had issued before to flood her entire body.

It was too much.

Reaching up, she clasped her hands on her head, crushing her ears against her skull.

No… That's not how they're supposed to be. They're supposed to be different.

_She _was supposed to be different.

Backpedaling as fast as she could, she slammed into a wall and slid down it, crumpling to the floor.

A heartbeat later she felt something… some_one_ taking hold of her.

Through her blurring vision, she saw _him. _

_No… Roy_, it told her. But then… _it_ suddenly drew back.

His… _Roy's_ face…

Three ugly, raised marks ran across his cheek; the longest one stretching from his ear to the corner of his lip.

_It_… She did that…

Despite the fact _it _drew back, the hurt and realization _it_ felt remained, flooding her entirety.

His… _Roy's _face was still there in her field of vision, causing _it _to backtrack until…

_It_ suddenly tore away, ripping her consciousness away with it.

* * *

**A/N: **_Hmm… I feel like this chapter was longer than 2.5K words, but I guess it wasn't! Regardless, I wanted to end it right here. And in case you didn't fully catch it or understand _'it' _would be considered that missing piece of Riza's soul that is still? tethered to her body by the spirit._

_If anyone still has questions, don't hesitate to PM me for a clearer explanation. Like I've said before, things can make sense in my head, but sometimes I'm afraid I don't explain them appropriately. _

_Anyways, I might be able to update this again by or after the upcoming long weekend. But first I will update _Pressure Point. _Right now I have about 500 words down for it. I just had to release this first because I was struck with the inspiration to write it._

_Finally, thank you for the reviews, favorites, and follows! I apologize for not replying to reviews (I've been a lazy author…). So special thanks to __**Annie, Yorokobi Asahi, waddiwasiwitch, Hublehuh, and lupine-lunaris **__(who gets a special hello for just now joining the story and feeling the angst ',:) )._


	17. One Team

"Why hasn't she woken up yet," Roy asked in desperation as he looked down at Riza, whose head was rested in his lap.

It had been nearly two hours since the "incident" and she had yet to stir.

"Do you think…" He couldn't even bring himself to ask the question.

From the edge of the bed, Edward shook his head and muttered, "I don't know," as he picked up her hand. Raising the tweezers he held once again, he began to gently grasp and pull more shards of glass from her knuckles. "I just don't know…"

After sitting in silence for a few minutes, Roy finally managed to say, "That was stupid of me… Leaving that mirror there…"

Out of the corner of his eye, he saw Edward flinch and stop before focusing his cold gaze on the General. "Don't say that," he growled. "Did you honestly think she'd react in such a way? I saw her walk past it plenty of times without so much as a second glance.

"Something about tonight was different… Something _changed_."

"Do you think it could have been the photographs," Roy asked dejectedly.

"…It could have been," Edward admitted. "There was one in particular that she kept to herself, though. Did you happen to see it?"

"Yeah," Roy murmured as he shifted slightly, reaching into his pocket and pulling out the crumpled up picture. Holding it out, Edward set down the tweezers and took it.

After studying it for a minute, without looking up from the photograph, Edward muttered, "It's dated the day before you left Ishval." Looking up from it reluctantly, he passed it back to Roy, who took it and tucked it back into his pocket. "…Did something happen?"

For a moment, Roy was thrown off by the question. The picture itself was unassuming; simply a moment in time caught just after Roy shook hands with one of the Ishvalan priests he had worked closely with over the years. Also in it was Riza, a small smile on her face with her hand on his shoulder.

The very thought of that day made his stomach churn restlessly.

Everything about that day had been perfect; it was when everything had begun to fall into place…

He could feel Edward's eyes on him, but he kept his mouth shut, allowing his eyes to once again scan down to Riza.

For the longest time they said nothing until Edward finally grumbled in defeat. Setting her hand down on the bed, he pushed his chair away as he stood. Picking up the empty bottle of hydrogen peroxide that was next to him, he showed it to Roy. "I'll be right back," he muttered. "Gotta get some more of this and some bandages."

Nodding in dismissal, Roy waited for the former alchemist to leave before he gathered her in his arms and lifted her onto his lap. Closing his eyes, he rested his chin atop her head and sighed deeply, willing himself to not fear the worst.

It had only been two hours… Surely she would wake up soon. And when she did, there would be a hint of recognition in her eyes. She'd see him and at least know him well enough…

Still, a deep-seated fear had planted itself in his gut, making his stomach churn with uncertainty.

If she didn't wake up… or if she didn't recognize him now that would be the end. Everything that was her would be gone forever…

* * *

"_Well, that was bold of you, wasn't it?"_

Riza said nothing, instead wrapping her arms around herself as she trembled. Despite no longer being in her body, she could still feel a slight pressure enveloping her; not enough to cause any discomfort, but enough to know that her body was hurting.

Frowning slightly, the Truth said, _"You nearly severed the connection of your spirit to your body. Had you pushed yourself further, it would have been over with."_

Narrowing her mahogany eyes at It, she finally asked, "Then why didn't you allow that to happen?"

After considering her question, It answered, _"It is best not to question my motives, oh Daughter of Flame Alchemy. Rather, you should be thanking me for your continued existence."_

While she had hated and loathed the man that called himself "Dr. Beller," Riza quickly discovered that her feelings of animosity for this creature were on an entirely different level.

It didn't take much to realize that It was toying with them; watching them as if they were performers in only the second of five acts in a stage production.

Whatever the reason, all she knew was that It was waiting for something…

* * *

With a soft groan, Roy groggily opened his eyes and blinked a few times as the ceiling above him slowly came into focus. Struck with the sudden remembrance of what had happened the night before, he bolted upright and frantically looked around, finding that Riza and Edward were nowhere to be seen.

Half stumbling, half jogging out of the room and down the hallway, he was instantly struck by the lingering, staled smell of food. Upon reaching the bottom of the stairs, he made a beeline into the kitchen and stopped.

Seated across from each other were Edward and Riza. The latter had her glare fixed on the floor, her arms wrapped tightly around her abdomen; while the former was sitting with his chin resting on his fists, eyes glued to the alchemy book in front of him. Only Edward bothered to look up when Roy had made his entrance.

"Hey," the blond young man muttered tiredly. Pulling one of his hands out from under his chin, he pointed to a pot on the stove and said, "There's still some left over if you want it. You might need to heat it up though… It's probably cold."

"I'm alright. Thanks," Roy replied absently as his eyes wandered down to the full plate of food that was in front of Riza.

As Roy moved to sit down with them, Edward mumbled, "She said something to me."

Caught by surprise mid-sit, Roy fell back into his chair and immediately turned his head to look at Riza, whose eyes were still fixed on the floor. After watching her for a few moments, he realized that she wasn't about to attempt to move. Rotating his head back to Edward for an explanation, he waited.

With a heavy sigh, Edward finally spoke. "She said 'no.'"

"'No,'" Roy echoed. Out of the corner of his eye, he saw her flinch. Turning his head slightly to keep tabs on her as well, he continued to watch Edward fully. "No to what?"

"Well, I made breakfast a little over three hours ago. Hell, she even helped me," he said as he folded his arms across his chest. "Whenever there was something I was looking for, she knew exactly where it was. Once it was done I made up two plates… And this is where we've been ever since."

"I don't understand where she told you 'no' about anything," Roy stated confusedly.

"It was after we sat here for about twenty minutes or so and I heard her stomach growl. When I looked up, I realized that she hadn't even touched her food.

"So I asked if she was hungry and that's when she said it," Edward added with a hint of bitterness in his voice.

Surprised by the young man's crude tone, Roy turned his attention to Riza, who still kept her eyes fixed on the ground. "Don't you think that should be celebrated, Edward? She _understood _you. This is our chance to-"

"Except it isn't," Edward replied harshly. "It was like she was bouncing back and forth between understanding and not. When I asked it again, she looked at me like she didn't know me.

"To me that doesn't look like progress at all. It just looks like she's putting additional strain on her spirit after what happened last night. And if that's the case, there's no telling when it might snap-"

"Edward," Roy muttered as he attempted to calm the young man, noticing that his tone had begun to make Riza anxious.

"-If she's refusing to eat, then that's a whole other issue," Edward continued, disregarding Roy's attempt to stop him completely.

"Edward," Roy raised his voice as Riza put her hand on the back of her chair and slid it away from the table.

His eyes growing wider and his voice becoming more desperate sounding, Edward continued on with his rhetoric. "Because how could we _possibly _do the transmutation if she _starves _herself first-"

"Ed-" Roy snapped; though he himself was cut off when Riza yelped as she leapt up from the table, accidentally knocking the plate of food onto the floor and shattering it completely.

Without thinking about it, Roy reached out and grasped her wrist in an attempt to stop her from going.

Whirling around, she jerked her wrist from his grasp. Lashing out at him, she forced him to stumble backwards. Catching himself on the kitchen counter, he managed to catch her expression before she stormed out.

Her ears were pressed firmly against her head; saffron-colored eyes shining more than usual. Her lips were drawn back, fully exposing her teeth and twisting her face into an expression he could only describe as resent and rage.

And just like that she was gone, disappearing out of the kitchen in a matter of seconds.

After processing what had just happened, Roy whirled around to face Edward, whose face was now buried in his hands. Trying, but ultimately failing at keeping his voice controlled, Roy growled, "Do you want to tell me what the hell that was about?"

Edward did not speak, keeping his face pressed firmly against his palms.

"Well," Roy snarled as he took a step toward the former alchemist.

Inhaling sharply, Edward finally muttered, "I'm a fucking idiot…" Dragging his fingers down his face, he let them drop limply to the table as he stared at the chair that Riza had occupied just a moment ago. "Here I am preaching to you about remaining calm and optimistic, only to turn around and do exactly what I told you not to."

Feeling his anger begin to subside, Roy took another step toward Edward and folded his arms across his chest. "I want to know why," he pressed.

Sighing heavily, Edward kept his eyes focused straight ahead as he said, "I guess it's because I feel useless…" Ignoring Roy's stare of disbelief, he continued slowly as he looked down at his own two hands. "Here I am with the knowledge on how to perform human transmutation, and yet I can't even do anything about it…"

"That's what I'm here for," Roy commented as he watched the young man's face seemingly age by ten years, the lines of stress on his face becoming longer and more pronounced.

Shaking his head languidly, Edward mumbled, "Yeah, but you don't know _how _to do it. I can draw you the circle but you need to know what you're doing before you jump in." Clenching his fists, he wearily said, "I wanted to wait for Al, but if he isn't going to be here then I'll show you everything. It's just that…" He trailed off.

"Just that what," Roy asked as he pulled out his chair and sat back down in it.

Without looking at the man, he said, "It's just that… I'm afraid."

"Afraid," Roy echoed back quietly. "And you don't think that _I'm _afraid?"

Edward shook his head again. "No… I know you are. I'm afraid because I don't want to lose someone else that I care about." Finally looking Roy in the eyes, he said, "You remember that little girl, Nina?" When Roy nodded in reply, he continued. "…There isn't a day that goes by that I don't think about her, even if it's for a fraction of a second." Tearing his eyes away from the General and craning his neck back to look up at the ceiling, he murmured, "Whenever I think about her, I think about how I couldn't use my alchemy to save her. And now… When I _do _know how to save someone I can't."

"You told me that I shouldn't be burdening everything on myself," Roy noted sourly.

"And I'm not," Edward added as he continued to stare off blankly. "I just thought that if I did have my alchemy, I'd be able to take on some of the burden of the transmutation."

"You shouldn't put such expectations on yourself, Edward. You know damn well that I'm more than willing to take on what might be asked of me when the time comes."

Slowly training his gaze back toward the General, Edward wistfully responded. "But I feel like I have to. I honestly don't know what would have to be given up, and if you do it alone, there's no telling what you would lose.

"I know that you'd be willing to give up anything, Mustang. Even your own life," Edward muttered. "So I'm just afraid that we'd lose both of you…"

Raising his brows, Roy eyed the man intently, taking in and noting the pain that was written across his face. Finally he reached out and clapped his hand on Edward's shoulder, squeezing it in a sign of comfort. "You have to realize that you might not though," he said softly as Edward allowed himself to look the General fully in the face. "Like you said, we haven't figured out the price yet. And I know that we have to work fast, but I'm confident that we can do this.

"We're in this together until we make things right."

Nodding slowly, Edward allowed himself to smile slightly. After taking a moment, he pushed his chair away from the table and stood up. Looking Roy in the eye, he said, "Let's go and see if we can talk to her. Maybe she'll say something again… Or we can try to see if she understands."

Nodding in agreement, Roy gestured for Edward to lead the way. After the young blond walked past him, he followed him to the one place they would expect to find her: the living area.

This time, however, she had decided to not perch herself on her favorite chair; instead opting to sit on the couch that was the furthest from them. Eyeing them warily, she wrapped her arms around herself and narrowed her eyes.

Edward cautiously moved forward and sat down on the armchair closest to the couch, taking care to make his movements slow and careful.

Just as he was about to move and sit down near her, Roy heard the doorbell ring. Narrowing his eyes suspiciously, he reluctantly pulled himself away and made his way to the front door. When he opened it, he was confronted with one face he had been expecting, but four additional ones he had not.

* * *

They had insisted on coming in.

At first Roy was extremely resistant, only wanting to take the medications from Dr. Knox and then have them go about their merry way.

Except they'd never accept that.

After all, he handpicked his men for their stubbornness. So finally, reluctantly, he granted them passage.

So now here they were, standing awkwardly at the threshold between the main entrance and the living area, getting stared down by a pair of narrowed yellow eyes.

His men had all been informed of everything up until that point, but it was still a shock to them to see their Captain this way. To see her go from who she once was to what she has become. The awkwardness that resulted from this hung in the air around them, thickening to the point of almost being palpable.

No longer able to stand the deafening silence, Roy tried to usher them back toward the door, only to have Sergeant Fuery break away and make his way toward her.

Sitting himself on the opposite end of the couch she had seated herself on, he watched her intently as she pulled her legs up on the couch and sat up on the balls of her feet, pushing herself as far away from him as possible.

When Roy made a move to approach the young man, Fuery looked back up at him with pleading eyes and begged, "Please stop, sir. I-I just have something to say." When Roy paused, the young Sergeant clasped his hands together and looked down at his lap and began to speak quietly. "Captain… I know you probably won't understand me, but I wanted to let you know that… I'm sorry."

Surprised by the unforeseen apology, Roy and the rest of his team looked on as the Sergeant continued softly. "If it wasn't for me, you and Lieutenant Havoc wouldn't have been hurt. If I had just answered you more… just been stronger, they never would have taken you. The General probably would have gotten there in time and you'd be safe." Taking a deep, shaking breath, he added faintly, "Or if I had just died… you two wouldn't have fought for me…"

"Now hold on just a minute," Havoc growled as he took a step toward the Sergeant. "Don't think for one minute that you'd be better off-" He stopped, however, when Riza finally looked in Fuery's direction and pressed her hands against her left side.

Her face twisting in anguish, she looked Fuery in the eye and murmured, "It… hu-urts…"

As soon as her words had processed in his mind and had sunk in, Roy took a step toward them, but was stopped when Fuery raised his hand to halt the man.

Without tearing his eyes away from their Captain, Fuery slowly reached down and lifted his shirt just enough to show his left side. Running from his left flank to his stomach was a hideous, raised scar. When her eyes had examined it, the young Sergeant tugged his shirt back in place and shook his head gently. "No… It doesn't hurt anymore. They helped fix me up-"

Roy was about to interrupt their odd exchange when Havoc stepped forward and placed a hand on his shoulder. When he turned toward the blond Lieutenant, Roy saw that he was watching them in awe, his mouth slightly ajar. Perplexed by this, he muttered, "Lieutenant Havoc, what is this about?"

His eyes never leaving the pair, Havoc uttered, "That's the last thing he said to us before he lost consciousness that day, sir…"

Roy quickly rotated his head toward the pair in disbelief as Fuery continued, "-And… I know that they're going to fix you too. Because," he looked down shyly, "General Mustang and Edward are the best there are and I _know _they will."

Riza's eyes widened slightly as she slowly turned her gaze from Fuery to the group of men standing just feet away from them. As she looked from one to the other, her eyes stopped on Havoc, zeroing in on his neck.

Seeing this, the First Lieutenant reached up and rubbed his neck absently. With a slight smile, he said, "And you know me… It takes more than a bully like that to kick me off the playground."

Something about that comment, whether it was his lighthearted words or his tone, caused her tail to thump against the couch a couple of times. Almost instantly after the fact, however, it stopped as she clasped her hand over her mouth and squeezed her eyes shut.

Rushing over to her and plopping down on the floor in front of the couch, Havoc said, "Hey now! Don't be embarrassed because you finally laughed at one of my jokes."*

Shaking his head as he sat down cross-legged next to Havoc, Breda leaned over and put an arm around the Lieutenant. "I hate to break it to you, Havoc, but I'm pretty sure she was laughing at you, not with you. That line of yours fell flat."

Shrugging his comrade's arm off his shoulder, Havoc shot the man a glare before turning back to Riza, placing a hand over his heart. "You were laughing _with_ me, right Captain?"

Vato Falman finally stepped forward and sat on the ground in front of Fuery and dutifully noted, "Members of the genus and species _Canis lupus_ will oftentimes display a wide range of emotions based on the angle and speed at which they move their tails. So she could have been showing laughter, happiness, disgust-"

"Don't make this complicated, Falman," Havoc shot jokingly toward the Lieutenant.

Seeing a ridiculous and pointless argument begin to unfold in front of him, Roy agitatedly took a step forward to stop it before it started when something caused him to pause and reconsider.

He had expected the appearance and actions of the men to either stress Riza out or force her to draw more from her memories than she could afford to, resulting in the head-splitting pain that seemed to accompany those episodes. But what he didn't expect was for her to relax. And while she didn't entirely, her demeanor changed enough to suggest that, at least at that moment, she was at ease as she watched them playfully bicker back and forth.

He quietly observed her as her head and ears turned in an effort to keep up with the men, her eyes gleaming with a hint of amusement. As they continued on, she pulled her focus away from them and held Roy's gaze, her lack of worry or stress slowly melting away his uncertainty.

Despite the fact that they had "accompanied" Dr. Knox purely for "security purposes," Roy found that he could not be upset with his crew for what they had done. Had he known that they would come in and chase away the dark and dreary cloud that hung over the residence, Roy would have considered having them stop by days ago…

* * *

The men and Dr. Knox left shortly after that, taking their laughter and chatter elsewhere and leaving the house strangely silent and calm.

After examining the stitches on Roy's face, Dr. Knox determined that he did in fact have the beginnings of an infection, reassuring him that the course of antibiotics he brought would work. And when that was set and done, they were faced with the challenge of getting Riza to offer her hand to them so that the doctor could decide if she needed sutures or not.

With a little help from the men, they finally coaxed her to present her hand to Knox. Upon examining it briefly, he determined that she would not need any; the wounds caused by the glass were not too deep. Although, he had added, if she showed any signs of discomfort that seemed to stem from it, it was entirely possible that some glass could still be embedded in her hand.

Now that they were gone, he and Edward were tasked with trying to see if they could get her to say anything to them, keeping in mind that if she showed any signs of pain they would stop. And for the time being, it seemed as if she was able to look at Roy without bringing on one of those episodes. Though her concentration was not completely with him, becoming broken every time a distant roll of thunder reached their ears, signaling to them that a storm was approaching.

Hearing the phone ring from across the house, Roy was about to get up when Edward beat him to it. With a slight wave, he muttered that he would get it, promptly disappearing a few moments later.

Turning back to Riza, Roy continued to talk to her, saying anything that came to mind. Not enough to trigger any critical memories, but enough to see if any of the words brought about interest in her. He had only talked to her for a few minutes when Edward rushed back into the room, his eyes a shining brighter than before.

Nearly out of breath, Edward excitedly stated, "That was Al. He said that he and May found a guide to lead them through the Dashan range in Xing."

Roy couldn't help but continue to stare confusedly at the young man. He was, unfortunately, still unfamiliar with the geography of Xing. He didn't understand what that meant entirely.

Seeing Roy's perplexed expression, he elaborated, "Meaning that instead of five weeks, they can be here in less than two."


	18. Storm

_Boom!_

A loud crack of thunder forced Roy's eyes open in surprise. He exhaled deeply, hoping to calm his rapidly beating heart. Praying that readjusting his position would allow him the opportunity to sleep again, Roy was about to roll over when he stopped, suddenly becoming aware of a light pressure against his back that hadn't been there when he fell asleep.

* * *

_Roy slowly opened his eyes and smiled when he felt a familiar warmth against his back. Cautiously, carefully, he pulled himself away and tentatively rolled himself over, stopping to admire the beautiful woman that lay sleeping next to him. _

_He watched as Riza's side rose and sank slowly with the deep and long breaths she took. By the way the sunlight was dancing off of her fanned out hair, it almost looked as if it were made of gold. He allowed himself this rare opportunity to really look at her and take in every little feature. God, he loved her._

_Suddenly, a thought crossed his mind. As much as he loved sleeping next to her, there was something else he loved even more… In one fluid motion, he lunged forward and wrapped his arms around Riza's waist, pulling her into his embrace._

_The surprise and abrupt attack woke her immediately. She struggled for a moment, but after realizing who it was, she half yelped and half gasped, "Gener-Roy! What are you-"_

"_Oh good. You're awake," he said playfully as he drew her in closer to him and rested his chin atop her head. "It's funny how we almost always wake up at the same time, isn't it?"_

_Allowing herself to relax after the initial shock of being torn from her sleep, she sighed and sarcastically murmured, "Yes, it is, isn't it," though he heard the smile in her voice. "What time is it?"_

"_About 8:30 or so," Roy replied matter-of-factly, making no indication whatsoever that he was going to let go any time soon._

"_You do realize our train home leaves in two hours, right," she asked as her voice slipped into its usual authoritative tone, reminding him that this was their final day in Ishval. "I still have to pack up a few things."_

_Sticking out his lower lip, Roy pouted, "Just five more minutes…?"_

"_Roy," she warned._

"_Okay, okay," he said defeatedly as he loosened his hold on her. He watched as she wriggled from his arms and sat up on the edge of the bed, her back still to him. Despite her hair covering most of it, he could still make out the lines of the array etched into her skin. Trying to avoid looking at it as a sense of guilt filled him, he attempted to steer his thoughts in another, though similar, direction. "Say," he asked absently, "There's something I've noticed. Why do you always sleep with your back toward me?"_

_Leaning over and picking up her shirt, she slipped it over her head and replied, "I could ask you a similar question, Roy. Why do you always sleep with your back to the door? You leave yourself wide open."_

_Raising his brows, he said, "I don't do that __**all **__the time… Do I?"_

_With a light chuckle, she replied, "Oh trust me, you do."_

_Smirking at that, he said, "I don't know… I'm not so sure. I __**propose**__ we test that theory every night," making sure to put extra emphasis on one word in particular. _

_She whirled around to face him. "You're 'proposing' something dangerous, sir."_

"_This isn't dangerous…"_

_The delicate smile on her face quickly vanished as she averted her eyes away from him. After a few moments of thought, she rose from the bed and walked over to the pair of pants she had abandoned on the floor the night before. As she slipped them on, she murmured, "It is."_

"_Hm?"_

"_It is," she said ruefully as she faced him once more. _

_Puzzled, he asked, "What are you-?"_

"_This," she said as she gestured to the both of them. "This _is _dangerous, Roy."_

"_Hardly," Roy responded lightly. "You know just as well as I that the fraternization laws were repealed months ago."_

"_That's not exactly what I meant," she murmured as she shifted from one hip to the other. _

"_Then what did you mean," Roy pried._

"_What I meant was that I can't protect your back when I'm at your side."_

"_When you're at my side, you can see both my front _and_ back," Roy suggested. "And besides… What brought on the thought of being _at my side_?"_

"_Your play on words was hardly subtle," she pointed out. After pausing for a moment, she asked quietly, "How long are you going to ask this?"_

"_As long as it takes until you say 'yes'."_

* * *

Instead of shifting and rolling over to see her, he remained adamantly glued to his space on the bed, afraid that any sudden movements would cause her to retreat.

Another crack of thunder shook the home.

Almost instantly the pressure on his back markedly increased as Riza tensed up and pushed herself as close to him as physically possible, trembling slightly.

What he wouldn't give to roll over and wrap his arms around her. To tell her that everything would be okay. That the storm, both the one outside and the one within her, would be calmed and would soon pass. Hold her until it was all over.

He wanted to… but knew that he couldn't.

So for now, he would remain as he was: a steady constant, just as she always had been for him.

Always…

Just thinking of the word caused his chest to tighten. She had _always_ been there, becoming so integrated into his life that she had become a part of him, and him her.

A part of him…

Suddenly, it dawned on him.

He realized what had to be given up for her.

* * *

The second Roy Mustang woke up, he knew something was off. Maybe it was the lack of warmth he had fallen asleep to or the absence of the pressure against his back. Registering both as being the truth, he sighed. She was gone. Probably watching Edward make food that she may or may not eat, or possibly-

The sound of rustling jolted him from his thoughts. Immediately on the alert, he flew up into a sitting position, ready for anything.

Almost instantly after that, however, he relaxed.

Across the room was Riza, a small bottle of liquid in her hand. Behind her was his dresser, the top sock drawer open, its articles pushed around haphazardly. He watched as she brought it closer to her face, studying it with child-like wonder; her ears pricked fully in a show of curiosity. When her finger went up to the spray mechanism on top, Roy leapt out of bed and rushed toward her, but it was too late.

When she pushed down on it, the bottle sprayed a single spritz of cologne into the air. She responded by gagging and dropping the bottle onto the ground, stepping back from it as if it were ablaze. When she had moved two, three steps away from it, Roy was already at her side. Registering for the first time that he was awake, she gasped and took another step away from him.

Raising his hands, he took a small step back and exclaimed, "It's okay!"

She narrowed her eyes in suspicion, unconvinced by his reassuring tone.

"See," he said as he slowly bent over and picked up the bottle of cologne. Straightening himself once more, he held it in one hand and raised the other. Spraying it onto his wrist, he rubbed it in with the back of his other hand. After setting the bottle back down on his dresser, he presented his wrist to her. "It's used to make one smell nice."

At that she wrinkled her nose again in distaste. Clearly she was not buying it.

* * *

After she had woken up, she, or rather _it_, recognized where she was. But instead of fighting back, _it_ merely sat back, as if it was afraid of acting out again.

She instantly registered that her back was against his. Remembering why she was there, she slowly eased away and off the bed. Turning to look out the window, she saw that the sun had risen and the storm was gone. A sense of relief washed over her; no more nightmares. Stealthily making her way over to the door, she was about to open it when something caught her eye.

Turning her head, she saw the sunlight dancing off of a rectangular object atop a wooden box. Padding over to it, she picked it up and lifted it off the box. Inside of it was a paper with people in it. One was clearly the dark-haired man and the other had hair like the light-haired man's, but was obviously more feminine. That one was vastly familiar…

She silently called upon _it_ to see if it would have any input. However, it seemed that the muted force was gone again. It was doing that more often now, disappearing and then reappearing in a weakened and more hushed state. It hadn't formed words as strong as it had before, but it provided enough to her to give her a sense of what she was experiencing. Like the men that had made an appearance the night before. _It_ told her they were familiars and were friendly. It had said a few other things, but she honestly couldn't recall them now.

Feeling that she had dwelled on the thought for too long, she decided that she would investigate further, hoping that she could figure out the other's familiarity on her own. Pulling on the top rectangle that was lodged into the box, she slowly slid it open. Almost instantly her nose wrinkled, the black contents having a dull, foul odor that smelt of feet. Still, curiosity had taken hold of her, and she was more interested than not.

Pushing the contents about, she came upon a small, black box. Picking it up, she opened it and peered inside. Within the cloth that was meant to protect it was a silvery, round metal band. Stuck to the top of it was a shimmering, pale stone. It certainly caught her eye, so she lifted it out of the box and turned it over in her hand, admiring how the light reflected off of it. Curious as to what the hole in the metal was for, she looked around to see if there was anything to slide it onto. When there wasn't anything else that was the right size, she opted to slide it onto the only thing that was: her finger.

It, surprisingly, fit perfectly. Looking down at it, she rotated her hand around, observing it from different angles. Despite how beautiful it was, however, it caused a knot to form in her stomach. Something about it seemed almost intimate, like it held a significant value.

Not wanting to dwell on its value much longer, she attempted to pull it off, but found that it fit a little _too _perfectly. After struggling with it for a few moments, she realized that it wouldn't come off without some other outside force assisting her with it. Rotating her head slightly, she saw that he was still sleeping.

So for the time being, she'd leave it there. It wasn't hurting her.

Closing the small black box, she was about to push the drawer back in when a liquid-filled container caught her eye. Grasping it, she lifted it up and tilted her head slightly. It had a different, though equally displeasing, odor to it than the rolled up bunches of cloth inside the wooden box. Rotating it around in her hands, she tried to make sense of what it was. What was the purpose of leaving the liquid in a container like that? Was it to prevent it from smelling?

Tracing her finger along its edges, it finally came to rest at the silver top. It was different than the rest of the clear glass; it was movable. Pressing down lightly, the odd mechanism pumped downward, releasing a revolting mist when it had completed its movement. The resulting cloud had formed just over her shoulder, filling her nose with its putrid scent. Gagging, she let go off the disgusting object and backed away from it, clasping her hands over her nose.

That's when she noticed he was right there.

Whirling around, she was caught off-guard by his close proximity. Stepping back hastily, she tried to increase the distance between them. And instead of lunging toward her like she thought he would, the dark-haired man, _"Roy," _as it had called him, raised his hands and took a step back.

She didn't like the tone of his voice. He was trying to reassure her. But how could she feel better when the thing had assaulted her senses so harshly?

She watched as he bent over and scooped it up. Then, much to her disgust, he sprayed some on himself and offered it to her, using the words "smell" and "nice" in close proximity. There was nothing _nice_ about its _smell_.

Obviously seeing the appalled look she gave him, he placed it back into the drawer and closed it, then attempted at explaining it again. The only thing she got from it was that its name was "You-bought-it-for-me." A ridiculously long name for an unnecessary thing…

* * *

Upon making it downstairs, Roy discovered a note on the table from Edward, stating that he had run out to get groceries. That left the two of them alone for the time being.

Per routine, Roy eventually coaxed Riza to follow him and sit on the floor. Sitting cross-legged on the floor in front of her, he began to talk about nothing in particular. Random, bland thoughts, the weather, current events; anything that wouldn't delve too deeply into her memories. He knew that she merely tolerated these little "talks," oftentimes humoring him by acting like she was listening, though the way her ears moved away every time he spoke was a dead giveaway to her lack of attention.

He hated it.

Hated it. Hated it. Hated it.

Hated seeing her like this.

Hated seeing the lack of recognition on her face.

Hated that it wasn't _her_ he was talking to.

He knew that it would only be two more weeks until everything would be fixed.

Two weeks until she was herself again.

But also it meant that he only had two more weeks left with her…

* * *

_It_ suddenly made its appearance known; its force so strong that it nearly knocked the wind out of her.

_It r_ecognized the notion of the little metal band on her finger. But instead of asking it to explain what it meant completely, she realized that _it _had returned a little… different.

Angry… Bitter.

It is meant to be a promise, _it _told her harshy. But… that promise was one that could never be. Impossible, _it_ told her. Everything was… impossible now. That was… the _**Truth**_.

And he… He had one promise that could have been kept. One promise that could have stopped all of this needless running in circles. He was supposed to make it all stop.

_It_… -no, _she_\- realized that his promise was not kept. Because s_he _was still here.

"…Why…?"

* * *

So surprised that she had chosen to speak, Roy didn't even process what she had said. Smiling lightly in the hopes that she would speak again, he asked, "What was that?"

"Why," she snapped as she raised her eyes to meet his.

"Why what-" He reached out to try and take her hand, to pull her from this confusion, when she pulled away. And when she did so, his hand scraped against something on her finger. He looked down, catching a glimpse of it was. His face paling, he stammered, "Where-where did-"

"Liar," she spat as she narrowed her eyes at him and pushed herself further away.

Before she could get further, he grabbed her wrist. When she attempted to pry it off, he firmly grasped her other wrist. "Where is this coming from?! Why are you doing this," he pleaded.

Continuing to pull at his grip, she growled, "I'm… here…"

"What does that mean!?"

All at once she stopped pulling and raised her eyes to really, truly look him in the eye, causing his breath the catch in his chest. He really _was_ looking her in the eye. Everything that was her; mind, body, and soul were all there. Slowly releasing his grip on her wrists, he cautiously raised his hands and said, "You need to stop this…! You can't strain yourself like-"

"Didn't ask… for this," she replied harshly as she struggled to call forth the words she needed. "Didn't ask… for your pity…"

"'Pity,'" Roy echoed back in disbelief as her words slowly sunk in. "No… Not pity," he tried desperately to explain. "A second chance! I had one, so-"

"It's different," she growled. "No price… No chance…"

"There is a chance," he protested. "We've been working on it! We just have to wait a little longer-"

"No," she snarled as she shook her head. "Won't… work."

"It will," he exclaimed. "Please trust us!"

Again she shook her head earnestly.

Feeling his frustrations begin to rise, he argued, "It _will _work!" As she continued to shake her head, he contended, "Why are you saying this?"

"I… didn't ask… for this…"

* * *

She couldn't stand to be around him anymore. If she was, _it _would vanish again, possibly for good. _It _wanted to tell him something, but the pull had become too great.

_Fool, _it snapped bitterly in her head. _Stupid, stupid fool…_

Hastily getting to her feet, she ignored him as he struggled to his, bolting out of the room. Hearing the pounding of his footsteps behind her, she turned into the first bedroom she came upon. Slamming the door shut, she immediately locked it and leaned heavily into it. As she slid down to the ground, she felt him slamming his shoulder against it, trying desperately to gain entry. Reaching up, she cupped her hands over her ears and tried to drown out his pleas and apologies as her head began to violently throb.

She didn't want him to try. She didn't ask for this! She didn't _want _this!

Here he was, fighting tooth and nail for a lost cause.

No point… no point…

No point…

She knew now what price he was willing to pay… but it was not enough for the creature at the Gate.

Because once he activated the transmutation circle that would supposedly "save her," he would die.

* * *

**A/N: **_Yaaaaay…! Got this chapter out just in time for my birthday (okay, so still a few days away, but I'm celebrating today because I start exams this week and will have zero time to otherwise.). _

_Hope you enjoyed. Anyone have any ideas what Roy is willing to sacrifice as opposed to what the Truth wants to take?_

_Thank you to all that have reviewed, favorited, and followed so far! I truly appreciate it._


	19. Catalyst

Roy instantly realized that pounding on the door and calling out to Riza would get him nowhere. And using alchemy to open the door would probably be even worse with the state she was in. With a heavy sigh, Roy stopped and leaned against the door in defeat before slowly sinking to the floor. Resting his back heavily against it, he ran his fingers through his dark hair and let loose a shaking breath.

How had she figured it out? How had she figured out that he was willing to give up **her** in exchange for **her**?

* * *

"_Nobility will only get you so far," _the Truth quipped as It turned its attention toward Riza, _"That was a bit of an overreaction, wouldn't you say?"_

Wrapping her arms tightly around herself, she narrowed her eyes at the creature and retorted, "Hardly. After what you told me, I wouldn't have reacted in any other way."

"_I simply told you the price the Flame Alchemist was willing to pay," _the creature noted as It rested its hands on its knees, leaning forward slightly. _"He is eager to give up his memories. Although," _It said as she scowled at him, _"I did mention that it was not enough._

"_You see, he has the right idea in giving up the part of himself that has a connection to you: his memories of you, subsequently losing flame alchemy, in the hope that he could bypass me and relearn what was lost. However, what he has failed to realize is that it takes more than forgetting a person to truly rid yourself of every meaning they hold to you._

"_If he wants to give up the part of himself that associates itself with you," _It said as it pointed at her, _"Then he too must give up the eyes that have seen you, the hands which have held you, and," _It chuckled darkly, _"The heart which beats for you."_

She had heard the speech It posed before, but that still didn't make it any easier to hear. Riza understood why, but she didn't understand _why_.

Why was the price so steep for her soul? Why must he pay so much for what she deemed was worth so little…?

As if It had read her mind, the creature chuckled, _"It is because of the _**value**_ he places on your soul. If he is willing to pay the highest price, then he will._

"_However," _the It teased, _"If you do not want him to pay so dearly, there _**is** _another way…"_

* * *

After Edward had arrived home, he was immediately greeted by a distressed Roy Mustang. After he had brought the man back down from his panicked state, Edward finally persuaded him to tell him what had happened.

Now here he was, standing in front of the door with a key in hand. Sticking it into the lock, he turned it and felt the locking mechanism give, granting him passage to the room. Twisting the knob and opening it slowly, he cautiously stuck his head into the room and allowed his eyes to adjust to the darkness. Once they had, he caught of a small form on the floor and next to the bed, leaning against the bedframe.

"Hey," he said softly as he sat down next to Hawkeye, pulling his legs up to his chest in the same fashion she had hers. "Mustang told me what happened. Do you want to talk about it?"

With that she angled her body away from him, turning her head to face the wall. Apparently not…

Still, he wanted to see if he could get to the bottom of this. After hearing about the way she reacted to Mustang, hearing that she outright _told_ him it wouldn't work, perturbed Ed greatly. What did she know that they didn't? It seemed like a fair trade: Mustang's knowledge and memories of her for her soul.

A piece of him for a piece of her.

Edward had argued with Mustang for well over an hour about the seemingly rash decision. But the longer the battle dragged on, the more Edward realized that this may be the only thing that could be given up without losing more. Mustang was relentless in his decision. As much as he hated it, it was the only way.

It would mean that she would be nothing to him just as he had been nothing to her. All of those memories, experiences, and years gone. Just like that.

He found himself wondering if that was what she had reacted to: The notion that Mustang would forget her. Her backlash had been incredibly uncharacteristic though, even with the state of mind she was in. He figured that at the very least she'd understand to some degree.

This was better than the alternative. It was something they could _work _with.

He needed to know…

"Are you afraid?" He waited, hoped, for a reply. But of course he did not receive one. Instead, she answered by pulling her legs closer to herself, turning her head away from him as she did so. "It's okay to tell me that you are," he said softly.

Again no response.

"Can you tell me why it won't work," he gently pressed.

Nothing.

Sighing defeatedly, Edward looked away and toward the wall in front of him, rambling off different wordings of the same question. Nothing stuck. After falling quiet and allowing the silence to sit for a few minutes, he finally muttered to himself, "I wish Al was here…"

At the mention of his younger brother's name, Hawkeye twitched. Rotating her head around to face him, her saffron eyes searched his expression as if looking for the meaning behind his words. After a few moments of examining him, she seemed to understand, allowing a small smile to spread across her face.

Edward furrowed his brows in confusion. Out of everything he said, _Al_ was what she picked up on? Maybe it was because it was the name of someone she knew? Then again, even Mustang's name did not seem to hold that much meaning to her.

He repeated the sentence again, and then said 'Al' once more.

She responded by raising her brows and ears turning in his direction in an attempt to understand.

For some odd reason, Al had a significant meaning to her in her current state of mind. Alphonse of all people. But that reason, however, was completely lost to him.

* * *

His words were mostly meaningless. Every now and then she'd catch one that she could associate with something.

'Afraid?' Ha. Of course she was afraid. She was terrified.

'Work?' No. Not unless she had whatever _it_ wanted. _It_ gave her only one word to work with. But so far he wasn't anywhere near that thought. She had thought about trying to enunciate it and see where that went, but she doubted she could bring about the necessary set of sounds to even attempt it.

The blond man spoke again, rambling about nothing in particular until he uttered a sound that was incredibly new… yet familiar.

She finally turned to look him in the eye. She wanted him to say it again.

Seeing her piqued interest, he spoke until he said it once more: _Al._

There it was. Right there. If he knew what it was, then that means she'd come across it; hopefully soon.

Because that was it.

**That** was her catalyst.

* * *

The blond finally managed to convince her to follow him out and into the room with the various chairs. She instantly occupied the chair that was the furthest from 'Roy," who himself was on a larger, two-person furniture piece.

She could feel his eyes on her, observing and watching her. Hoping to avoid his stare entirely, she kept her eyes focused on her lap and began absently picking at her nails. She _almost_ thought that it had been a mistake following the blond out there.

Almost.

But the desire to hear about this thing called 'Al' pushed her to follow and subsequently listen in on their conversation. They wanted her there with them, so in the end they would all gain something….

After listening to them talk for what seemed like hours, she deduced that 'Al' was not a thing; rather, it was a person. It seemed almost too simple a sound to describe someone of such importance, however. He or she certainly seemed to hold significance to the two of them, as she now noticed now how often they uttered his or her 'name'.

Name… It was such an unusual word. It seemed as if everything and everyone she met had one. The blond man _should _have one. Clearly he is important to. When she tried using it once before, though, he flinched and reacted in a fashion opposite of what she had expected.

Ed…ward.

She had stumbled over the word when she had said it because it was so foreign and she hadn't attempted it before. Maybe she wouldn't try again. Something about his reaction and saddened expression tugged at her heart and made her not want to. Even _it_ had realized that was something that shouldn't be attempted again. It seemed to know what the reaction was stemming from, though it remained hushed about the matter. Maybe it was because that wasn't actually his name…?

He… 'Roy' had a name. Roy. _It _liked his name a lot. Under normal circumstances it would react in some way, whether by pulling away or pushing to get closer. Now though, it made no attempt to push. Instead, it remained quiet, exuding exhaustion and fatigue. It wouldn't be long before it vanished again for who knows how long…

Did she have a name? Well, she had something she was _called_ but it no longer seemed to her like it was truly a name. It was distant. It was cold. More like data and less like something that fit her. Then again, nothing else _worked_. He, or Roy, oftentimes used 'Hey' or 'Erm' or sometimes even 'You' to catch her attention. She knew enough to know that none of those were even close.

Sometimes, however, he used one word that made her heart skip and dance and actually made her feel warm. But he used it so rarely that she wasn't even sure it was hers. And when he did use it, it was often when he had become frustrated, hurt, or had some other negative emotion in his words. She wanted nothing more to elicit a response and see if that's what it was. She didn't know if she could stand no longer having a solid identity, because the one she was branded with certainly was not hers.

As the two men continued to talk, she turned her head to her left and noticed a small figurine on the table next to the chair. It was small, holding the shape of a four-legged creature. One of the points on its clear, glistening head was chipped off, meaning it was fragile.*

Looking up to see if they had taken notice of her newfound interest, she saw that they were still focused on each other, completely oblivious to what she was about to do.

Rotating her head back around to look at the small figurine, she slowly reached up and placed her hand on its side. Casually, carefully, she eased it to away from its position until it teetered on the edge of the table. After looking again to make sure they weren't watching, she batted it off the surface and watched as it fell to the floor, shattering into thousands of tiny pieces the instant it made contact.

A beat later, she heard it.

"Riza?"

Looking up, she saw him watching her, his face a mixture of shock and concern. Despite the way he had exclaimed it, however, she still felt that same warmth pooling in her chest. _It _wasn't there anymore to give any input, but somehow without it she _knew_.

That had to be it. There was nothing else.

_Riza._

That was her name.

* * *

"I just don't know," Edward admitted dejectedly as he turned his head to look at Riza for a moment, before focusing back on Roy. "I couldn't get anything out of her. Honestly, the only time she_did_ pay attention to anything I had to say was when I mentioned Al."

Raising a brow, Roy murmured, "Why's that," as he too stole a peek at her. When he saw that she was purposefully looking anywhere but at him, he reluctantly gave up and turned his attention back to Edward.

Shrugging, the young man mumbled, "Maybe it's because we've been mentioning him a lot, so his name is familiar."

"Maybe," Roy replied slowly, solemnly.

"Regardless," Edward continued, "I think we should go over your proposition when Al gets here. Everything makes sense to me, but she's not telling us anything else. He'll be a good person to check against."

"Right," Roy agreed as he languidly nodded his head. Before he could continue on, however, he was interrupted by a loud _crash_. Whipping his head around, he saw Riza sitting across from him, her hand slightly raised. Once he had observed the remains of the destroyed dog figurine scattered about the floor, he looked back up at her and absentmindedly muttered, "Riza…?"

At the sound of her name, her eyes lit up.

Realizing instantly what he had done, he inwardly berated himself. Every time he unconsciously used her name, he feared she would react and that would be it. She would push herself over the edge and become lost to them. He was especially on guard after the episode that had occurred hours earlier…

So when he saw her eyes light up and a small smile spread across her face, he immediately tried to backpedal, hoping and praying that there wouldn't be a backlash due to his carelessness. But before he could get any words out in an attempt to divert her attention, he was stopped by the sound of someone pounding on his front door.

As he got up, he glanced toward Riza once more, relieved to see that whatever it was had distracted her as well, causing her to turn her head toward the direction of the door.

Pushing himself out of his seat, he briskly made his way out of the room and toward the door. Even though he had been pounding on the door for nearly half a minute, the person beyond it refused to relent, beating it as if he had just gotten there.

Unlocking it, Roy threw it open and stopped. "…Havoc?" Roy eyed the man curiously. He hadn't been expecting him… at all.

Seemingly oblivious to his commanding officer's bewilderment, the pale-faced and nearly breathless Lieutenant clumsily pushed past him and stepped into the house. The moment he was inside, he began to frantically look about. "Where's the Captain?"

"Havoc-" Just as Roy was about to appeal to the panicked man, Riza rounded the corner, having followed him after he had left the room. When Havoc took an abrupt step toward her, her eyes widened and she hurriedly took a step back and away from him.

Moving forward, Roy gripped Havoc's shoulder and stopped him in his tracks. Stepping around him, he grabbed the Lieutenant's other shoulder and looked him square in the eye. "Havoc," he hissed, trying to snap the man out of his alarm, "What's the matter?"

After having seen Riza, Havoc took a deep breath and exhaled slowly. As the blood returned to his face, he finally willed himself to look Roy in the eye. "Sorry, sir," he breathed, "I just… I just had to make it over here before something happened and-"

"What are you talking about," Roy demanded as he felt a sense of alarm rise within him.

Taking another deep breath, the smoker dug into his pocket and pulled out a crumpled piece of paper. As he began to unfold it, he shakily said, "This was distributed to all of the military personnel in Central Command today, sir."

Snatching it from his Lieutenant's grasp, Roy quickly skimmed down the page, trying to find the paragraph that had thrown Havoc into a panicked frenzy.

It said that the inauguration ceremony had been temporarily suspended. That much he knew. It was one of the many topics he and the Fuhrer had discussed when he had met with him. They had both agreed on it, seeing that half of the Council was now imprisoned. It would take time rebuilding the government's infrastructure and doing so under the current Fuhrer would be more widely accepted.

Still, there was more. Skimming down the page, he read that due to a recent "incident" involving a number of higher-ups, any personnel that is discovered circulating rumors or information outside the confides of the military base will be court martialed and imprisoned. Understandable…

However, it was the last paragraph that made the hairs on the back of his neck stand on end and his skin crawl.

In accordance to the reports of one Dr. Arnold Pace, the evidence that was confiscated during the recent raid of the catacombs of Central Command had been examined and reported on extensively. As a result, the evidence no longer holds substantial value the military police. In an attempt to purge all records and proof of the scandal to avoid public knowledge, an executive decision had been reached.

Effective immediately: all evidence, both living and not, has been ordered to be destroyed.

* * *

**A/N: **_In terms of the '*,' I couldn't help myself. I double-dipped into my other multi-chaptered story. The little 'figurine' is a small dog. In my other story, it's made of stone, while in this one it is glass. In no way are the stories connected however, and the 'glass dog' really probably won't have any significance to it here. I just figured I would add it in as a sort of 'Easter egg…'_


	20. Coming Undone

"Tell me. What is this 'other way,'" Riza demanded.

"_That is one thing I cannot answer," _the creature chirped. With a grin, It added, _"Figure it out yourself."_

"My soul," Riza realized. Looking back up at it, she exclaimed, "Is that what you want?! Then do it… Take it! If that means he won't-"

"_Ah, ah, ah," _Truth chirped. _"Regardless of whether or not I take your soul, the Flame Alchemist will still attempt the transmutation. If there is a shred of certainty and hope, he _will _do it._

"_Besides, _**I** _cannot sever the spirit which connects body to soul. If that is what you want, you must do it yourself. I can only drag you back and prolong the process. In order to break my hold on it, another reaction _must_ occur." _Its smile widening, it said, _"So you may choose: sever the connection now and allow the Flame Alchemist to attempt to bring nothing back… Or continue this existence until the transmutation does occur, in which a price must be paid."_

"Can the payment be what I have just offered? Without causing harm to the one that has performed the transmutation," Riza asked.

"_Possibly," _It quipped. _"Something of equal value to __**yourself**__ must be exchanged otherwise. But, like I said before, _you_ must figure it out."_

With a frustrated growl, Riza looked down at her lap and tried to think. Something of equal value to herself… It almost made it seem as if she could return,if something else was offered. But what? What?! What more could she give…?

She sat there for what seemed like an eternity, trying desperately to think of what the creature could possibly want.

Breaking through the silence, Truth's voice rang out, _"Tell me, Daughter of Flame Alchemy-"_

"I have a name you know," she snapped back agitatedly.

Its mouth formed a thin line for a moment, as if It were surprised. A beat later, it smiled. _"Ironically, I was just about to ask you that._

"_So… What __**is**__ your name?"_

She shot the creature a dumbfounded glare. What was it playing at? Asking such a simple question.

"My name," she echoed back. "My name…"

It was if it had escaped her. No… That was impossible! She couldn't have possibly…

Frantically searching her memory bank, she thought back to any time someone would have said it. Roy… he had said it plenty of times!

But as she searched, she found that she could not recall it. It was as if her memories were completely intact, though someone had muted every moment someone uttered it.

…What was her name?

* * *

Destroy.

Here and on paper it seemed so… simple.

Roy knew what it meant to truly destroy and devastate. He had been a destroyer for the military, cutting down innocent lives and leaving only rubble and fragmented families behind. He had destroyed hopes and dreams and livelihood. He knew the meaning of the word all too well.

Ravage. Ruin. Devastate. Exterminate. Wipe out. Shatter. Eradicate. Extinguish. And destroy…

In the end, they all boiled down to the same, basic concept: to kill.

He knew its meaning, and yet reading it here, it was almost as if it had become a foreign language, like he could not grasp the concept behind it. So there he stood, rereading the sentence over and over again until he could no longer understand the meaning of _any _word in the sentence. Still, his eyes continued to skim it until the paper was ripped from his grasp, snapping him out of his trance.

Jerking his head up in surprise, he saw that Riza had made her way over to him, standing just behind his shoulder. As he turned toward her in bewilderment, she held the paper up close to her face, skimming it as he had.

Roy held his breath, afraid that she would understand, and yet too afraid to tear it from her grasp. So he stood silently, watching as she 'read' the page.

After a few moments of grazing over it, she glanced up at him, back at the paper, and at him once again. Then, without any warning, she grasped the top of the document, pulling with one hand and pushing with the other until it ripped down the middle.

Dumbfounded by this display, Roy couldn't help but stutter out, "R-Riza?"

She looked up at him and searched his face for a moment at the sound of his voice. Not seeming to find what she was looking for, she bunched the two pieces of paper together and tore them again.

Before she could rip the small bits of parchment further, Roy reached out and placed his hands on top of hers to prevent her from proceeding, which caused her to attempt to jerk her hands from his.

"Hey," he exclaimed as he reached out for her again, forcing her to take a step back from him. Narrowing her eyes at him, she held his gaze as she dropped the pieces of paper, allowing them to flutter to the ground.

"W… What," Havoc started to say behind him, only to taper off in equal confusion.

"I… don't know," Roy admitted slowly as he watched her fold her arms across her chest, her expectant gaze unwavering.

"Did something happen," Havoc quietly asked, the concern in his voice evident.

Still keeping his focus on her, Roy nodded. "Right before you got here she broke that dog figurine I sculpted a few years ago…"

"You mean the one that-"

"Yes," Roy murmured back, "The one that compliments the piece I gave her." For a brief moment he let his eyes wander back down toward the shredded pieces of paper at Riza's feet, suddenly remembering the reason for Havoc's unexpected visit. Running his fingers through his raven-black hair, he inhaled sharply and said, "I can't dwell on this right now. I need to call Headquarters."

* * *

Riza wanted nothing more than to hear him say her name again. But before he had the chance to, someone arrived, pounding on the door and causing him to lose his concentration. Within seconds he was gone and out of the room. Curious and frustrated, she followed after him until she found him at the door, a piece of paper in his hands.

Moving to stand just behind him and over his shoulder, she eyed the paper inquisitively. After a few moments, however, she lost interest. It was only filled with lines and strings of letters. Dull.

Although he seemed _particularly_ interested in it. It almost seemed as if it had some worth or value to it… much like the tiny figurine he had displayed with such regard.

Maybe if she broke this too, he'd say it again.

Ripping the paper from his grasp, she held it between both hands and skimmed across it once again. For what reason would this be of significance to him?

Looking up to make sure he was watching, she confirmed that he was, his eyes widened with concern. She glanced back down at it, then at him again. When she caught his eye and held his gaze, she grasped it firmly and tore it in half.

_That_ caught his attention. Seemingly confused by her actions, he uttered something. Ri…za?

No… That wasn't it…

* * *

"It's Riza… Riza Hawkeye," she said definitively to the creature.

"_Are you sure? You seemed hesitant," _Truth said amusedly.

Furrowing her brow in confusion, Riza snapped, "Of course I'm positive." And yet… For a moment there, it _had_ escaped her. Eyeing the creature warily, she retorted, "What did you do?"

"_Me," _It replied, _"Why, I did nothing. Simply pointing out one thing you've failed to notice."_

"And what is that," she replied curtly.

"_Haven't you noticed that you've been returning to your body less frequently? That there is a sort of tautness present that wasn't before?" _Leaning forward, It studied her for a few moments before continuing. _"The very name you were given at birth was lost to you. That enough should arouse suspicion and lead you to a conclusion…" _It paused, giving her the opportunity to respond.

She honestly didn't know what it was getting at. If she were losing herself, anything that should be "her" would be on this side of the Gate, not on the other side with her body.

Seemingly annoyed by her lack of understanding of alchemy, Truth abruptly interrupted her thoughts and explained, _"Your spirit is fraying. Unraveling. Coming undone. It has nearly reached its limit. So now when your body desperately attempts to draw information from your soul, it is only able to pull back bits and pieces of information rather than your soul's entirety. Think of it like a rope that is about to snap," _Truth offered with a wide and toothy grin.

"So… How much time is left," she asked breathlessly as a wave of realization flooded her gut.

"_That depends," _the creature mused, _"How much time are you willing to give yourself?"_

* * *

"Fuck," Roy hissed as he slammed down the phone line. "Apparently the Fuhrer is not in his office at the moment. _Apparently_ he's 'in a meeting' and cannot be disturbed at this time." He swore again under his breath as he ran his fingers agitatedly through his dark hair.

If such an order was released, there's no telling when they'd show up… Because he knew they would. It was only a matter of time.

"We're just going to have to go there," he growled quietly, trying his best to keep his growing fears and panic at bay.

"Wait… You want to _go_ to Central," Havoc practically yelled in disbelief. "_Toward_ the people that want to kill the Captain?!"

"Yes," Roy answered without hesitation. "If we ran and they chased us, that'll be the end of it. They would assume we'd be guilty of at least _something_.

"If I can get to the Fuhrer, I can figure out what's going on. We had an agreement and this 'order' is not following it." _Not in the least bit…_

Something wasn't right. Something had happened to cause such an order to be issued. And yet he had no idea what.

It appeared that Havoc did not have the slightest clue either. Based on his reaction, the announcement had been completely out of the blue. Headquarters was aware of the situation… to an extent, but to have an action like this issued so suddenly was unsettling.

"And," Havoc muttered as he broke through Roy's thoughts, his eyes wandering over to Riza. "What are we going to do about-"

"The closer she is to me, the safer she'll be," Roy answered authoritatively as he cut Havoc off. "She's coming with us."

* * *

Gone.

The Fuhrer wasn't in his office. Wasn't in his meeting. And wasn't, as far as his secretary knew, anywhere in the building. Of all the possible times he could disappear…

Glancing over at the blonde to his right, he was relieved to see that the old hat he received at the academy kept its place on Riza's head.

Sensing his stare, she paused briefly from her glancing around to look back at him; her widened eyes searching his expression for the reason why there were practically running down the corridors of Headquarters. He raised his brows in an effort to soften his expression, hoping to transmit a sense of coolness and nonchalance to her. But of course she did not buy it, instead pulling his jacket even tighter around herself and moving even closer to him as they trekked onward.

Shifting slightly in his stride, he too moved closer to her; so close so that their shoulders contacted each other's when their strides matched; his way of silently telling her that he was right there.

Edward matched their march on Roy's other side, his golden eyes fixed forward and a determined expression on his face. He hadn't spoken much, though Roy knew it was because he too was deep in thought, no doubt his mind racing as quickly as his.

And in front of them was Havoc, the blond Lieutenant navigating and guiding them down the most deserted halls in Headquarters. Leading them around a sharp right, he motioned for them to follow to their next destination: Roy's office.

As Havoc reached the door and opened it, a flush of anxiety flooded Roy's gut. He had to remind himself, though, that his team was here for him… for _her_. As he stepped through the doorway, he reminded himself that they would do anything for them, just like they would do anything for him-

Before Roy even had a moment to process what happened next, he felt a blunt force slam into his entire side. His realization quickly followed suit as he oriented himself, finding that the "blunt force" that "hit him" was actually the wall of his office. Whipping his head around, he saw Edward to his right, his face and body also pressed against the wall. He was dazed… but unharmed from what Roy could see.

Turning his head sharply to the right, he saw Riza being restrained by another soldier, one hand over her mouth and the other around her midsection. And right beside her…

Roy surged to the side, frantically trying to release himself from the strong hold on him.

Beside her was Dr. Pace… A freshly used syringe and needle in his hand.

Roy watched as Riza's eyes widened slightly as her legs weakened, stumbling back into the soldier's grip.

"What did you do," he roared as he began to struggle and fight again.

"Just a mild sedative," Pace explained reassuringly. "Just to be sure she doesn't hurt herself…"

"Or you, right," Roy shot back venomously.

"There's that too," the doctor agreed nonchalantly.

Craning his head around once more, Roy managed to catch a glimpse of the rest of his team. Beyond Edward were Falman, Fuery, Havoc, and Breda, their hands above their hands in surrender. Behind them were three other soldiers, their guns raised and pointed at their backs.

They knew that he would seek his team out…

Roy suddenly hissed in pain as the soldier readjusted his hold on him, agitating his still-healing shoulder.

Seeing his pained reaction, Riza lunged toward him, only to have the soldier holding her drop his hand to her neck, pulling her into himself. Keeping her eyes on Roy, she struggled against the man's grip, desperately trying to reach him.

"I'm fine," Roy yelled out, causing her to pause. "I'm fine," he said again more softly, trying his best to smile.

She didn't seem entirely convinced by his tone. But after searching his face for a few moments, she allowed herself to relax slightly.

Sighing, Roy focused his attention on the man restraining her and calmly said, "Please loosen your grip on my Captain. She won't struggle again," he mumbled as he also addressed the soldier holding him, "As long as I'm not hurt." Almost instantaneously the grip on his arms loosened considerably.

The man hesitated as he eyed Roy warily, before turning his attention back to Pace. When the doctor shrugged, he complied, although he still kept his arm wrapped around her neck.

The initial commotion now behind them, Roy focused his narrowed gaze on Dr. Pace and demanded, "Why is the meaning of this brutality? Why was that order released?"

Dr. Pace inhaled deeply as he closed his eyes and rubbed the bridge of his nose wearily. After holding it for a moment, he exhaled slowly as he opened his eyes. Casting the General a worn gaze, he muttered, "The Fuhrer gave me jurisdiction for this case… And now I am acting upon it."

"We did nothing wrong," Roy growled. "We've been following everything in the agreement and-"

"You didn't," Pace agreed as he shrugged, his exhausted demeanor slowly beginning to slip away, leaving behind an air of irritation. "But that still doesn't change my decision that every piece of evidence," he cast his glance toward Riza, "Both living and not is to be destroyed."

"Why," Roy cried out. "Why would you-"

"Because I killed a child," Pace spat back venomously.

Roy stopped as he heard a gasp escape Edward's lips.

"Because… I killed a child," Pace murmured wistfully.

"What… What do you mean," Roy heard Edward ask stuporously.

Shaking his head, Pace regrettably murmured, "One of them was a child. He couldn't have been older than six or seven. They probably **picked** him off the street when they were running low on soldiers," he added with a sneer.

Edward must have reacted silently to the fact because Roy saw Pace's brows arch upward inquisitively. He watched as the doctor's eyes flitted back and forth, analyzing his blond companion's face. Finally Pace spoke again, his voice slow. "I understand your past regarding the topic, Mr. Elric, but I'm sure you understand by now that-"

"You… murdered him," Edward responded dazedly. "You _killed-_"

"That was not a life that could be saved, Mr. Elric," Pace snapped. "That was simply a damned existence full of suffering. His humanity-"

"Did you even give him a chance," Edward suddenly flared as he struggled against the soldier that held him.

Shaking his head again, the doctor growled, "There wasn't even a chance to begin with. A life like that-"

"-Is still a life," Edward cried back. "You might think that his humanity was gone… But I'm thinking it's _you_ who's lost his!"

The emotional doctor took a step toward Edward and hissed, "I'm the only one around here who still has his godforsaken humanity intact. I'm the _only_ one that cares that these poor souls are suffering. And I," he snarled as he stopped beside Edward, "Am the only one that can free them. It's my purpose… My duty!"

Roy watched Edward's body quake with rage as he mumbled something under his breath.

Dismissing the young man, Pace turned away when Edward growled, "Bullshit…"

Annoyed, the doctor turned back toward the blond man. "Care to elaborate, Mr. Elric?"

"Bullshit," he snapped louder. "You don't care one damn bit. Because if you did, you would have fought harder! But instead," he seethed, "You've resigned to the theory that you can't do a damn thing!"

"Because I couldn't," the doctor shot back. "You all seem to have this figured out, but you don't. It's as impossible now as it was back then… You couldn't save that little girl, Mr. Elric. And I know that because _**I **_was the one that examined her." Stepping closer to Edward once more, he growled, "History _**will **_repeat itself because there is nothing you could do and nothing you can do now-"

"Shut up," Edward roared as he lunged forward again, nearly freeing himself from the soldier's grasp. "You don't know a damn thing about what I'm capable of… What_ we're_ capable of!"

"-That's right," a new voice suddenly boomed. "You clearly do _not_ understand what they are capable of."

Turning his head, Roy was able to identify the owner of that voice: Fuhrer Grumman himself.

* * *

"Dead," Roy echoed back in disbelief, trying to process what the Fuhrer had just uttered. "How… How is that possible?" A heavy dread began to slowly sink in as he slowly realized that it was potentially he that-

"Yes," Fuhrer Grumman muttered as he rested his chin on his intertwined hands. "But not by your hand. The autopsy results are pending now, but we suspect that it was an… illness that ultimately caused his demise; one that had been presence for quite some time it seems. That's where I was: Overseeing the meeting that ensued due to the news."

Roy exhaled slowly, allowing this additional piece of information to steadily set in.

A part of him was sickeningly thrilled. General Thomas was dead. He could no longer do any harm to anyone.

And yet he was enraged. Thomas had escaped. He could no longer do any harm… But that also meant that he would never pay for what he had done…

"I'm sorry."

Roy looked up at the sudden apology, though he found that the Fuhrer's eyes were no longer on him. Instead, they were on the blonde that was seated exceptionally close to him, her arms wrapped tightly around his, her cheek resting lightly against his injured shoulder. Roy too looked down at Riza, seeing her lashes flicking up and down as she tried desperately to keep her eyes open.

As soon as the guards had released them per the Fuhrer's command, she had half-stumbled, half-ran to him, her hands instantly up and on his shoulder, gently combing it over in an effort to find where he was hurt. Despite having her life threatened and despite being minutes from death, she _still_ valued his life and his pain above hers. He knew she realized the danger she had been in; he could see it in her eyes. And yet it was _him_ she was more concerned about. Like always…

After that she refused to leave his side, remaining so adamantly glued to him that it was impossible to have this discussion with the Fuhrer without her.

He knew that it pained Grumman immensely having her there. But he knew at the same time that he was slightly relieved, because now he could see for himself that she was safe and in good hands…

"I'm sorry," he said again softly.

"What do you mean, sir," Roy murmured confusedly as he raised his eyes to meet Grumman's.

"If I had been more diligent, more observant, maybe I would have realized what was going on. No doubt Thomas hastily threw this last plan together in an effort to keep his legacy going. He_knew_ he was dying. But instead, I was oblivious to his scheming; a doddering old man that isn't attentive enough-"

"-Don't say that-"

"-To protect his only family," the Fuhrer continued without faltering.

"Sir, you don't mean that," he tried to reason with the old man, but the Fuhrer simply brushed off this statement.

"But I do, General. It wasn't until an hour ago that I even knew about this 'order' that was submitted… It had been released earlier today and no one thought it important enough to inform me." Pausing for a moment to sigh heavily, he continued, "It's all gone, you know. Aside from the notes and research you have, everything else has been destroyed.

"Whether it was a fit of madness or an overwhelming, though misguided, sense of compassion, I do not know. All I _do _know is this: We lost many lives today… Including the lives of some of our men."

"You mean that…"

The Fuhrer nodded gravely. "Yes… Pace confirmed it himself. Among the chimera that were taken for treatment and as evidence, there were some that were, at one time, soldiers." Bowing his head slightly and fixing his gaze on a spot beyond Roy, he added, "I visited them, you know. And I saw it… The humanity in their eyes. It was there clear as day. And now… And now they're gone; their souls no longer bound to this world…"

In complete dismay, Roy could only utter, "I… I don't…"

"You don't need to say anything, General," Fuhrer Grumman murmured apprehensively as his eyes wandered even further from the pair seated before him. "Just please promise me this: If something does go wrong… Please release her soul…"

"Sir…"

"Please," Grumman quietly begged; his sullen, weary eyes now focused on Roy and Roy alone.

Roy's chest tightened at the thought of the old man's request. He knew in his heart that that was the only alternative if they were to fail.

He had tried for so long to deny the fact, but now here it was staring him pointedly in the eye. There was no purpose now in denying it…

"… Alright. I understand," he finally replied.

Nodding indolently, the Fuhrer murmured, "You are now excused."

Swallowing thickly, Roy bobbed his head in response and shifted, causing Riza to lift her head from his shoulder. As he slowly rose to his feet, he turned and offered a hand to her, which she immediately accepted.

When she stood, she swayed uneasily, the sedative's hold on her still apparent.

Roy reached around her and placed his hand on her shoulder, allowing her to lean into him as she steadied herself. Looking back up, he caught the Fuhrer's eye one last time.

Grumman's twinkling eyes then tore away from Roy's and came to rest on Riza's hand, which was against Roy's chest.

He had completely forgotten about the ring, realizing now that he never had the chance to help her remove it. Roy watched as the Fuhrer's eyes drank in the shimmering piece of jewelry, glancing over every edge and turn with a knowing expression.

After all, he was the one that helped Roy pick it out.

When he was done analyzing it, his sorrowful eyes rose to meet Roy's, signaling that he was finished. Without another word, Roy nodded and slowly turned toward the door, guiding Riza along with him.

As he stepped out, he was greeted by his men, their hands raised in quiet salute.

Trying his best to smile, he nodded toward them to signal the end of their salute. As they dropped them, he turned a knowing look toward Edward.

The blond nodded as both he and Havoc stepped away from the remained of Roy's men.

With one final, grateful glance, Roy continued forward, being led by the two blond men as they guided them back home.

* * *

"Edward…" Roy finally began, breaking the silence that had plagued them the entire car ride.

The blond man shook his head, keeping his eyes fixed on the passing tree line. "Not now… Please," he murmured quietly.

"…Alright," Roy responded in reluctant understanding. As he turned to look out his own window, he felt the light pressure on his shoulder disappear. Rotating his head back around, he saw that Riza was sitting upright, her head tilted slightly as she watched Edward. Before Roy could reach out to her, she extended her arm and lightly placed her hand on the young man's shoulder.

Edward flinched at the touch, but did not pull away. After a few moments, he looked over his shoulder and gave her the warmest smile he could muster. "I'm alright, really," he said, though his tone was flat and unconvincing.

Roy watched her reflection in the car window, following her eyes as they flitted about in an attempt to read Edward's expression. And just as they narrowed questioningly, the car suddenly slowed and stopped.

"Uh, Boss," Havoc muttered as he kept his eyes fixated on a point in front of him.

Turning his head, Roy glared through the windshield, making out four forms standing on his doorstep. Reaching into his pocket and pulling out his gloves, he slipped them on and opened the door. "Stay here," he muttered as he made his way toward the group, his hand raised and poised to snap.

As he got closer, their features became more apparent to him.

The first was stout and had dark skin with black, coiled hair. The second; larger with blond, spiked hair. The third was smaller; her long black hair braided down her back, just reaching past her waist.

And the fourth, cloaked in a long brown jacket, had a head of golden hair like Edward's, though it was shortly cut and neatly trimmed.

As Roy continued to approach them, his hand fell to his side, his guard going with it. From behind him he heard two other pairs of feet following him. And though he stopped, one of the pairs of feet continued past him.

The blond individual finally turned around to face them, his golden eyes scanning them until they landed on an approaching Edward. Smiling slightly, Alphonse quietly announced, "I'm here."


	21. Array

"Al," Edward exclaimed as he quickened his pace, stopping just short of his younger sibling.

"Brother," Alphonse greeted as he closed the distance and pulled his older brother into a quick embrace.

After accepting it, Edward quickly pulled away and eyed Al curiously. "How did you get here so quickly?"

"Well, Brother, we- Oh, General," Alphonse quickly snapped into a salute as his focus turned to Roy as he approached them.

"No need for the salute," Roy said as he raised his hand in dismissal. Using that same hand, he reached out and offered it to the younger Elric. "Thank you for coming," he murmured when Al accepted his gesture and shook his hand.

"Of course, sir," Alphonse replied as he released his grip.

After nodding in response, Roy turned his focus to the small black-haired girl that had moved over to Alphonse's side and greeted her as well.

"It's nice to see you, General," she said as she bowed. "Although I wish it were under different circumstances."

"Right," he muttered as he returned the bow. As he straightened himself, he saw Zampano and Jerso approaching from behind the pair. But just as he was about to greet them, something latched onto the back of his jacket and propelled him backwards. Stumbling back, he managed to catch his balance just as Riza rushed past him.

A beat later Roy's arm shot out and grabbed her wrist, yanking her backwards. When she faltered, he readjusted his hold and grabbed her arm. "Hey," he yelped as she attempted to pull her arm away. "What are you-"

The sound of snapping and ripping pulled his attention away from her, forcing it onto the two men as they began to warp and change. As they finished their changes, the pair stumbled backwards, their eyes widened in a mix of shock and fear.

"What are you doing," he demanded the pair.

After clutching his chest and taking a few deep breaths, Jerso grumbled, _"Sorry, General. Instincts just kicked in."_

"Instincts," Roy echoed back as his eyes slowly wanted back over to Riza, who had stopped pulling against his grip. Her narrowed saffron eyes remained on the chimera pair, her lips curved upward in a wicked, triumphant grin.

When Jerso nodded and shifted, the arm Roy had a grip on raised and Riza planted her hand on his chest in an attempt to push him back. Seeing this, the chimera took a step back and raised his hands in defense.

And it was at that moment, watching this silent exchange, that Roy realized this arrangement would not work.

* * *

"So you snuck onto a freight train," Edward said back to his younger brother as Alphonse nodded his head in response.

"Yeah," Alphonse admitted. "When our guide led us through the Dashan pass, we exited on the part of the border where that new rail line is being constructed."

Mustang nodded thoughtfully. The line was being built to connect Amestris to Xing. Although it was far from complete, the part that expands the desert was, at least, completed.

"When we got there they were about to leave for Amestris to pick up more supplies, so we snuck into one of the empty train cars. After that, we got off when we crossed the eastern border and from there boarded a train bound for Central.

"If it hadn't been there, we would have had to cross the desert by foot," Alphonse explained, "And probably would have been here about two weeks from now."

"Why didn't you call," Edward asked as he leaned forward in his chair, raising his brows. "If I had known, we might have planned better."

"I did try calling, Brother," Alphonse noted. "I was going to the second we decided to hop on that train in Xing, but it was a split second decision in the end. And I didn't want to call when we crossed the border because I didn't want to wake you."

"Yeah, that makes sense," Edward responded. He was about to say more when he must have realized his brother's attention was no longer on him. Instead, Alphonse's eyes were directed toward Roy and Riza, who were seated on the room's small couch.

Seemingly noticing they were being watched, Riza tensed up and shifted closer to Roy, eyeing Alphonse warily.

After it was unanimously decided that Zampano and Jerso would stay at a hotel during the duration of their stay, Riza was less than welcoming toward Alphonse and May, opting to remain close to Roy while keeping her attention focused on them.

Alphonse attributed it to the fact that he and May had attempted to bring "potential threats" into the house. And after what had happened earlier in Central, everything "unrecognizable" was deemed a threat to Edward and, especially, Roy.

Alphonse suddenly made his way toward them, causing Riza to move even closer to Roy, her eyes now narrowed and honed in on the young blond man. Stopping a few feet in front of them, Alphonse lowered himself to the floor and sat cross-legged in front of them. "Hi," he chirped cheerily as he extended his hand toward Riza, "I'm Al."

* * *

'Al…'

Something about it was… familiar.

As she studied his features, silently repeating the word back to herself, a sudden flurry of disjointed scenes and scents flooded her mind.

The smell of explosive powder mixed with a feeling of hopelessness.

"_I said, leave me! Just get out of here!"_

Metal arms restraining her and holding her back.

"_I won't!"_

Fury, rage, and flames.

"_I won't let another person I care about be killed!"_

Metal arms release her and she's running. There's blood. Roy's blood.

"_Not if there's anything I can do to protect them!"_

Roy is safe. They're taking him.

She's breathless, but relieved. _"Thank you, Al…"_ She says to the man made of metal.

Al was… The man made of metal. Where his flesh became steel and steel became flesh. Just like her dreams.

And just like _it_ had said.

This was the catalyst.

* * *

Instead of batting his hand away or glaring like Roy had expected her to, he was surprised to see that she too extended her hand and took Alphonse's, silently turning it and looking at it. After a few moments of observation, she promptly dropped it and watched him with a newfound curiosity.

Smiling, Alphonse started talking about nothing in particular, simply making a one-sided conversation to make one. And the entire time she sat and listened, as if absorbed in what he had to say. Finally, Alphonse moved his hands up to his head and, using his two pointer fingers, simulated ears. Wiggling them, he asked, "May I see?"

And again, to Roy's surprise, she complied, removing the cap she had earlier been so adamantly keeping on her head. Silver ears slowly stood from remaining flattened on her skull, raising to attention and angling toward the young man.

Accepting the gesture, Alphonse slowly got up from the floor and cautiously moved over to the armrest nearest her and seated himself on the edge of it. Moving as slowly as he could, he began to examine the one closest to him, silently taking notes in his mind.

Raising his brows, Roy finally murmured, "How did you do that?"

"Do what," Alphonse asked quietly as he kept his attention focused on Riza, whose attention was focused on Roy.

"She… Didn't have an issue letting you examine her," Roy noted. "She isn't necessarily thrilled about it most of the time."

Alphonse shrugged his shoulders up and down. "I guess it's because I'm just being careful and speaking softly to her."

"Why the exam now, though," Edward asked as he took a step toward them.

"Well, to be honest," Alphonse admitted while he kept his eyes on Riza, "I really want to look at General Mustang's face. And I doubt I will be able to without proving to her that I mean no harm." Looking up finally at Roy, he added, "I think I can fix the scarring on your face with a bit of alkehestry. But to do so, I have to reopen the wounds and remove the scar tissue."

Roy nodded. "It isn't a pressing matter, but it's something you can certainly look at."

"Of course, General," Alphonse replied as he moved to peer into Riza's ear. After a few moments he murmured, "Oh…"

A sense of alarm rising in him, Roy immediately asked, "What? What's wrong?"

Keeping his focus on his task, Alphonse shook his head slightly and said, "Nothing's wrong. It's just that her anatomy has completely changed here. Meaning that when you want to use her blood to 'reprogram' her cells, it's going to hurt." Looking up at Roy, then toward Edward, he added, "You'll have to do it in bits and pieces because you're going to reform the anatomy of her head and spine. Doing it all at once will probably be too painful and she could go into shock."

"Oh," Roy muttered in reply as he watched the young man return to his work. After a few moments, curiosity got the better of him and, shifting to get a better view, he too lifted his two pointer fingers up to resemble ears.

Riza gazed at him out of her peripheral vision and narrowed her eyes for a moment. Then, seemingly making a decision, she leaned away from Alphonse and toward Roy. Slowly and cautiously, he reached up and lightly touched one.

It fluttered the instant his fingers swept against it, but quickly regained its position. He could see her watching him intently now, almost curious. So when he reached up again, she melted into his touch and sighed contently, closing her eyes as she did so.

Relaxing slightly, Roy too sighed, though this moment was cut short. Riza suddenly grimaced and quickly pulled away. Grabbing the hat she had placed in her lap, she firmly planted it on her head and held it there.

Pulling away as well, Roy eyed her with concern. And when her eyes wandered back to catch his, he saw her face twist with embarrassment and shame. Sighing, he muttered, "It's okay…"

Without looking back at him, she pulled her legs up on the couch and leaned against him, holding the cap down as tightly as she could.

Allowing his eyes to wander up to Alphonse, he silently signaled to him that they for done for the night. Taking note of this, the younger Elric nodded and moved away. Leaning back into her after the response and watching as her saffron eyes darted around anxiously, Roy murmured again, "It's okay…"

* * *

Al wandered around the transmutation circle for what seemed like hours after everyone had retired for the night; measuring, calculating, devising, recalling and piecing together knowledge he had collected over the years. For a little less than a month he and Edward had collaborated and exchanged notes, changing and revising their hypotheses again and again until it became this: flawless.

He admits that the design of the array was on his thoughts constantly. But who could blame him after hearing the way Edward's demeanor changed over the phone as time went on. He couldn't help but plan, organize, draw together all of the knowledge he had in order to pull together the concept that bound this circle together.

It was only drawn to reclaim her soul. If they even attempted to return her body to normal, there wouldn't be enough to give and the reaction would surely rebound. At least, however, Edward's concept of using genetic particles from her blood was possible. They would work on aesthetics later.

This _had_ to work.

* * *

_Leaning all of his weight into the wall and still holding the phone's receiver in one hand, Alphonse raised his other hand to cover his eyes. After taking a deep, heavy breath, he began to exhale when he felt a pressure on his shoulder._

"_Alphonse," May asked quietly, "What's wrong?"_

_Without moving to look at her, keeping his face concealed, Alphonse murmured, "That was Brother… I'm really sorry, May. I know we just got here, but I have to go back. Something… Something happened…"_

"_Alphonse," the small black-haired woman said with more authority. When he pulled his hand away from his eyes and looked down at her, she said, "Alphonse, what happened?"_

_It had even been incredibly difficult for Edward to explain and tell him. He honestly didn't know where to begin…_

_After thinking for a few moments, he took a breath and said, "You remember when I told you about that little girl, Nina, right?" When May quickly nodded her head in reply, he slowly advanced, "Well… A few weeks ago Mustang's men were attacked and taken and…" He paused for a moment as he attempted to draw everything back. "And… They did that to… Well, you remember Captain Hawkeye, right?"_

_May's hand went from his shoulder to cover her mouth as her eyes widened in horror. _

_Unfazed now by any reaction, Alphonse continued, "Not as severely, according to Brother. But he said that she said she was… forgetting. And then," he nervously ran his fingers through his golden hair. Was it just him or was it getting warmer in there? Were the walls this close before? _

Keep it together, Alphonse_, he scolded himself internally. _You can't crack now. They need you.

"_And then… Someone took her. They don't know where she is and Mustang's a complete wreck and Edward is trying to keep him together and-" He realized he was babbling incoherently now, spilling out everything as the gravity of the situation hit him._

_It happened to someone else they cared about. And they weren't even close to figuring out how to fix it; the fact Zampano and Jerso were still with the same bodies they were with five years ago was evident of that._

_It happened to someone they cared about… And they were still powerless._

_His heart was pounding in his chest. He felt as if his windpipe was being tied shut; he couldn't breathe!_

_He never had the opportunity to truly grieve Nina properly. Being locked in a suit of armor prevented him from doing so. His soul had hurt and ached, but there was no breathlessness, no chest pains, no tears. The first time he had thought about it after he had regained his body, he cried. But it had been nearly a year after the fact at that time. _

_It was something Edward never liked to discuss, and he felt that reopening the wounds there would have been too hard. So his period of grief was short and suppressed._

_But now… Now the wounds were fresh, and the old ones were reopened. _

_He was so far away and they needed him…_

_The sound of something heavy being slammed shut tore Alphonse from his thoughts. Snapping his head up and toward the noise, he saw that May had migrated to the bed, the suitcase they brought on top of it. "May…"_

_Her smile was sad and sincere. "We'd better hurry, Alphonse. They need us there."_

_He shook his head. "I can't ask you to leave, May. It isn't fair to you. You've been wanting so badly to get here and now that you are-"_

_As he was rambling to her, the petite black-haired girl crossed the room in a matter of seconds and reached up, taking his face in her hands and stopping him abruptly. Her eyes narrowed for a moment, and then widened as they scanned his face. "Alphonse," she said, her voice serious, "This is about _family_. Master Fujimoto and his lessons can wait. I'll come back next year and start again."_

"_May-"_

"_You won't change my mind, Alphonse," she said as she released his face and began to gather their items again, depositing them into the suitcase. "You should know by now how bullheaded I am."_

_He blinked once, twice, then made his way over to her, her arms full of clothes. Wrapping his arms around her and burying his face into her hair, he murmured, "Thank you…"_

* * *

Reaching down into his pocket, Alphonse produced an organic chalk as he crouched down and fixed a smudge on the outer circle's edge. Staring down at the symbols below him, he silently went over them and identified them in his mind: _Soul, spirit binding, blood, life…_

Exhaling slowly, he sat back on his heels and glanced around the rest of the array.

* * *

"Hey, Al," _Edward muttered the instant Al picked up the line._

"_Brother," Al murmured into the phone, "What's-"_

"We found her, Al,_" he interrupted dispassionately. _

"_That's great," Al exclaimed. "I should be there in a few weeks and-"_

"It's not 'great,'_" Edward snapped. Seemingly realizing his quick outburst, the next time he spoke, his words were more controlled, though the pain was still evident in his tone. _"It's not… 'great,' Alphonse. She was right about forgetting… She didn't even recognize Mustang and ended up ripping open the side of his face.

"And Mustang… God… When I found him he was about to shoot her in the head because he was convinced she was gone…" _When Al gasped in response, Edward languidly continued on. _"I stopped him, though. Because… Because she deserves a second chance, you know?"

_Al felt his heart sink. Despite his brother's attempt at sounding confident, his tone was far from reassuring. It seems that even he is second guessing himself and his actions. "Just… Hold on, Brother," Alphonse pleaded quietly. "We'll be there in a few weeks. Just, please, hold on."_

* * *

Alphonse slowly rose to his feet and gave the circle another look over. Everything looked perfect, flawless, just like he had decided before.

It fit perfectly for what the General was willing to sacrifice…

Today was the first time he had heard about what General Mustang was offering to Truth to pull her soul back. As much as he wanted to disagree, he knew that there wasn't anything else. Still, it was unnerving the way the Captain had reacted to it, claiming that it wouldn't work.

The concept behind it was perfect, though. And that's what worried him. Would it be too much, too little? It was impossible to tell without standing in front of Truth itself. With the way the Captain had acted, it almost seemed as if the payment was too little. How could it be, though? If the General gave up what he said he would, surely that would be enough to reclaim her soul. His memories and thoughts and everything associated with her for herself.

They were missing something… Something crucial…

* * *

"_So that's what you're planning, hm," _Truth chirped as it watched Riza's soul vanish from the Gate_. _Its mouth curling upward into a smile, It quipped,_ "Well then, good luck…"_

* * *

Throwing back the covers on his side of the bed, Alphonse waved Xiao Mei away from his pillow and crawled beneath them, pulling them up to his chest before rolling over to peer into May's eyes.

She responded by raising her brows, her eyes darting back and forth as she searched his face.

"What is it," he asked.

"It's just…" She trailed off, uncertainty filling her eyes.

Al scooted closer to her and raised his brows. "'Just what,' May?" Smiling lightly, he said, "You know you can tell me anything."

"I know," she said with a small smile, though it quickly faded. "I just… Well, aren't _you_ nervous? I mean, they're putting so much faith in you, Alphonse. They believe in you and I believe in you… But isn't the pressure overwhelming? Aren't you afraid to fail?"

Alphonse thought about it for a moment and then rolled over onto his back, peering up at the ceiling above. Absently counting and recounting the tiles above him, he murmured, "When I think about it, it really is overwhelming. There are multiple lives in the balance, and now some of the pressure has been passed onto me. The thought of failing has crossed my mind numerous times.

"Still, I've grown so much over the years. I've learned so much now… And now that I've the knowledge, I intend to use it. So I guess you can say I'm overwhelmed and nervous and afraid of failure, but you could also say that I'm determined and confident." Rolling over again to look at May, he smiled lightly. "I'm confident now in my abilities, and that, with the knowledge I've gained, I can really do this.

"Of course, I still want to double, triple, and maybe even quadruple check everything we've done so far… Just to be safe."

Leaning in and resting her forehead against his, May smiled. "And that's precisely why I fell in love with you, Alphonse Elric. You're so-"

They both jumped when they heard a loud _thump_. Glancing at each other before looking back toward the door, Alphonse was the one to speak up. "Hello," he called.

Straining to listen, Alphonse heard nothing. Frowning, he pushed the covers back and swung his legs over the side of the bed. When he called out once more, he was answered by a loud _thud_. Getting to his feet, he made his way over to the door and opened it.

Leaning heavily against the doorframe was a very disheveled Riza Hawkeye.

"Riza," Alphonse exclaimed in surprise. "What are you-"

"A-Alp-phonse," she stammered as she doubled over, wrapping her arms around herself. "He-help m-m-me…"

* * *

**A/N: **_Alright. So I officially have 4-5 chapters left in the story. Right now I'm stuck on the ending. I have two different endings in mind, with one way having 4 chapters and the other having 5. I should have it all worked out by the next chapter or so, but just wanted to give you guys a heads up with where I'm at. Sometime soon I'm hoping to complete _Dandelions_ because it would tie in wonderfully with the next chapter…_

_Right now I liken the situation to two locomotives on the same track (Roy is in one and Riza is in the other), but heading toward each other… Going 75km/hr… And their brakes are out. So, we will see how it goes!_

_Anyways, thanks for the reviews, favorites, and follows! See you next chapter! _

_P.S. To the __**guest**__ that said Al saves a kitten for every chapter… Can I add zeroes to that seeing that there are only 4-5 left? Alphonse is very motivated to save the kitties._


	22. Are You Still Here?

"Alphonse," May whispered uncertainly as she slowly rose to her feet, staring down at him as he continued his work, "Did we… Did we do the right thing?"

Alphonse did not immediately answer, continuing to erase, redraw, and erase again bits and pieces of the array's design until it was to his liking. Every formula he ever learned was whirling around inside of his head, contradicting the others the longer he looked at his work. If he looked at it any longer, he feared he would second-guess himself.

"Alphonse," May began again, this time more quietly.

"I don't know, May," he admitted quietly as he raised his golden eyes to meet hers. "I don't know…"

* * *

_For a moment Alphonse froze as his thoughts began to race. What was she doing?! If she did this she could-_

Stop_, he commanded himself. Now was not the time to think; it was the time to act. In one swift motion he bit the tip of his thumb, drawing up a copious amount of blood. With his other hand he grabbed Hawkeye's wrist, ignoring the fact that she was continuing to attempt to talk, her words and sentences disjoined and incoherent. _

_Using the blood on his thumb, he quickly drew out an alkahestric circle on the back of her hand before he released his grip on her wrist. After clapping his hands together he reached out with both hands, resting one set of fingers beneath her chin and the thumb of his other hand on her forehead. A beat later a pulse raced through her, causing her entire body to stiffen momentarily before her knees buckled. Before she hit the ground, May caught her and quickly lowered her down. _

_Not wasting another moment, Alphonse knelt down beside her and began prodding her shoulder in an attempt to awaken her, calling out her name as he did so. The longer she did not stir, the more worried he grew. He had reacted quickly, surely it had been enough!_

_Inhaling sharply, she opened her eyes, frantically looking between the two people that were looming over her. A moment later she caught her breath and gasped, "Alphonse? May?" Then, seemingly surprised by her own voice, she held her hand up and kept it hovered over her face, turning it with a look of awe on her face. "How… How did you-"_

"_I'm sorry," Alphonse apologized as he cut her off. "There isn't time to explain. I need you to tell me everything that is going on!"_

* * *

"Hey."

Both Alphonse and May whirled around to look at the person that had startled them. Edward stared back; one brow raised quizzing as he muttered, "Everything okay in here?" His focus was on the pair for only a moment, however, as it then wandered over to Alphonse's pocket, where he had deposited the alchemical chalk he had in his hands moments ago.

"Yeah," Alphonse replied coolly. "Why do you ask?"

"I just figured I'd check in on you; you two have been in here for a while," his older brother noted.

"Yeah," Alphonse admitted as his eyes wandered down to the circle. "I just wanted to check it again and make sure it's perfect."

"I understand," Edward murmured as he walked over to his younger brother and crouched down next to him. After staring at the runes and array for a moment, he said, "I saw her leave yours and May's room last night… Everything okay?"

"Yeah… Why," Alphonse asked as he looked up at his brother.

Edward shrugged, "I just wanted to be sure…" He trailed off again, as if collecting his words in his mind. After a prolonged silence, he asked, "Did she say anything?"

* * *

"_Are you sure," Alphonse asked, trying, but failing, to mask the desperation in his voice._

_Riza nodded and murmured, "Yes. That's what it wants." Saffron eyes stared critically into his own as she asked, "Can you do it?"_

"_But you realize," Alphonse said quickly in an attempt to appeal to her, "That if something goes wrong, if something isn't perfect… You'll die."_

"_I'm aware of that, Alphonse," she said as her eyes softened. "But I need you to look at the bigger picture. You are the only one that can do this. I know it's a lot, but I know that you're capable of it; capable of making the right choice. I trust you."_

"… _Right," Alphonse replied reluctantly, faltering slightly. Then with a small sigh, he continued, "Whether this goes right or wrong, the General won't be happy."_

"_I know," she replied, the corner of her lip tugging upward. "But he'll have to realize that it will be for the best. He-" As she moved her hands, her fingers brushed across the ring on her finger. Alphonse watched as her face fell, her eyes staring longingly down at it. At last, after pausing for a few moments, she murmured, "I miss him…"_

"_Everything will work out, though! When this is over-"_

"_If," she corrected him, cutting him off. "If this is over, then I'll see him again."_

_Alphonse wanted to correct _her_. He was confident… He had to be! Everything she gave him was enough. He could do this. It had to work! It just had to!_

_His thoughts were cut short when she slipped the ring off of her finger and held it out to him. Hesitantly, he extended his hand and flattened out his palm. She carefully placed it into his palm and held her fingers there on top of it for a few moments, as if afraid to let it go._

_Finally, she pulled away and muttered, "Please be sure to get that to him… No matter what happens."_

"_I will."_

* * *

Alphonse shook his head at his older brother. "No. She didn't say anything." He could feel May's eyes boring into the back of his head, quietly demanding what his was doing.

He was never one to lie to his brother; hell, they told each other everything. But if he told his brother, then he would surely put a stop to it. He didn't realize, though, that they were almost out of time.

There was no time left to reconsider or reevaluate.

* * *

_After a few beats of what felt like a long and drawn out silence, Alphonse awkwardly cleared his throat and murmured, "I have to remove that," as he gestured to her hand._

_Despite the fact that it looked like an alkahestric circle, the art itself was more like a marriage of both alchemy and alkahestry. It was something both he and May had developed together._

_He had taken the notion of the blood seal that bound his soul to that armor so long ago and used it to create something that could be used "temporarily." _

_One of the things he and May noticed while they were in Xing was that there were many times when someone would die before most of their family members had the chance to say goodbye. A lot of it had to do with the fact that so many people in the small village they resided in worked in rice fields that were sometimes kilometers away. By creating and using this "temporary blood seal," Alphonse was able to prolong their existence in this world long enough for their loved ones to say goodbye. It was almost as if he were placing a 'cap' on their 'containers,' or bodies, which would allow them to house their soul for a while longer._

_There was no cost associated with it because the soul would eventually be freed, though the time the soul was bound was extremely limited. He had found that once the blood dried and cracked on the skin, the soul would be gone. _

_He could tell that even now his blood was nearly dried. If anything, there was maybe one minute, possibly two, left. Alphonse also had to keep in mind, however, that the seal could also put an immense amount of strain on the spirit. And with the amount of strain Hawkeye's had to endure, he was afraid that if they waited any longer, it would be severed. _

"… _Right," she said indolently as she raised her hand, staring down at the array drawn in blood on it. At last she extended it toward him and rested it in his palm, but not without first murmuring under her breath, "I don't want to go."*_

_Trying to keep his emotions in check, Alphonse thought it best not to reply and instead said, "Will you let me know that you're still here when I'm done?"_

_She cast her eyes away from him and replied, "Yes."_

_He tried his best to smile reassuringly, despite the fact that she wasn't looking at him. He wanted to exude confidence, but on the inside he was terrified, because he did not know if she had been here for too long. If he defaced the seal now and she had been, then she would be gone for good._

_He knew, though, that sitting and idly thinking about it would only make the situation, and the strain, worse. Raising the pointer finger on his other hand, he pressed it down on the skin just outside of the array. Pausing for a brief moment, he allowed his eyes to fall upon her once again, but she still refused to look, keeping her eyes on the floor next to her. Without missing another beat, he muttered, "I'm sorry," as he dragged his finger through and destroyed the array._

* * *

The silence that Edward answered with told Alphonse that his brother wasn't totally convinced. His response, however, was what confirmed that suspicion. "Are you sure? Because I saw her in the kitchen just now and noticed that the ring was gone."

Alphonse felt his chest tighten for a moment, but quickly recovered as he said, "Yeah. It's true that she didn't say anything, but she still came to us to see if we could remove it," as he gestured removing a ring from his finger, hoping to convey the notion of charades to his brother. Still seeing a sliver of doubt in his brother's eyes, Alphonse added, "She must have decided that I was able to help because I had looked at the General's face to see if I could fix it."

He silently pleaded that his brother would accept his answer and move on. He couldn't know…

After what seemed like an eternity, Edward shrugged one shoulder up and down as he said, "I guess that makes sense," rubbing the wedding band on his own finger. "It can get annoying after a while."

"Yeah," Alphonse replied, a sense of relief flooding his gut.

The two brothers turned their attention to the array again and looked at it for a few moments before Alphonse had the courage to speak again. "I think… That we need to do this soon, maybe even today."

Edward looked up at him, then over Alphonse's shoulder toward May before turning his attention back to his younger brother. "I know that, but why do you say it like this now?"

It was Alphonse's turn to shrug this time. He had asked her when the seal was broken if she had still been there. And after a paused that seemed to last an eternity, she had nodded. Still, he'd prefer to do it sooner rather than later. He knew that they were running out of time. "I just have a feeling…"

* * *

She didn't know how long she had been standing there, staring into the reflective glass that was before her. All she knew was that the longer she looked, the more frustrated she became.

It was bad enough that the one called "Al" had continually asked her something; something along the lines of "Are-you-still-here?"

"You" was her; she had heard it countless times when he-Roy, said it when referencing her. "Al" was, therefore, questioning her. So she nodded in reply when he asked her, every time he asked her. And if he was questioning her about _it_, then she would nod for it as well.

Because it _will_ eventually respond.

Last time she had done this, it had worked. _It_ had reacted so violently and so abruptly that it had manifested itself in her thoughts and in her body. The lingering smell of the iron in the blood on the back of her hand only caused her to remember the event all too clearly, practically feeling the shattered fragments of the reflective glass in her hand. She was recalling this memory, but why wasn't _it_ responding?

She tried mentally tugging at it, trying to coax _it_ back, but it was as if the 'line' that connected them was slackened. With a frustrated growl she leaned closer and leered at the image reflected back, brimming saffron staring into brimming saffron. Blinking the wetness away, she tried to think of other ways to get it to respond.

Reaching up, she grabbed and gently tugged at the tip of her ear. When it fluttered away from a second touch, she looked triumphantly back at the image in front of her and waited. _It_ hated those. Surely it would want her to stop.

Her waiting had been for naught, because the emptiness inside of her remained, left completely unfilled.

Obviously she wasn't getting anywhere with this. It seemed that a stronger stimulant was needed then. Walking out of the room, she looked around, seeking out "Roy." He would know what to do. He **always** caused it to react.

Picking a direction, she followed the hallways toward his room, hoping that he would still be there. It was still early, but he was a late sleeper.

Rounding another corner, she gasped in surprise, almost running into something. Taking a few steps back, she saw that it was _him_.

Roy stood there in surprise, his brows raised. After a few moments, however, his eyes softened as he murmured something unintelligible to her. Regardless of what it was, one thing was certain: his voice caused her heart to flutter, just as it did every time he spoke.

Then this would surely get _it_ to respond…

Stepping forward and reaching up, she lightly took his face in her hands. Pausing as her eyes searched his face, she waited to see if _it_ would react or do something. When it didn't, she advanced slowly, feeling his eyes on her the entire time.

When she pressed her lips against his, she could feel his entire body stiffen and tense. But after a moment his lips stopped quivering and he remained there impassively; not returning it but not pulling away either.

Something swelled within her, but it wasn't _it_. Instead, this feeling she felt was bliss: simple, unadulterated happiness. Her body knew his; it craved him. And something inside of her told her that he knew and felt this too.

After a few moments, however, her feelings of splendor quickly turned to frustration. _It_ did nothing. There was no push, no pull; no force telling her to stop or continue. _It_ remained as impassive and indolent as he.

But _it_ wanted him; this much she knew. She could tell whenever _it_ remembered him, how protective it would be as _it_ guarded those memories for itself.

She knew too that he wanted, loved, _it_ as much as it did him. She could see it in his eyes every time he looked at her. He was looking for something and it wasn't her. Now she was building the bridge between then, giving them what they wanted. So why wasn't it responding?!

Feeling her frustration grow to desperation, she pressed her body to his and held her lips more forcibly against his. Where was it?!

She wanted it to be scold or berate her, push or pull away again. She wanted it to thank her and come back. She just wanted it to just do something!

Her thoughts were broken when he reached up and grasped her wrists, slowly lowering them away from his face. Though it seemed as if the fight that raged within her lasted for hours, in reality it had only been mere moments.

Opening her eyes, she watched him pull away until she was at arm's length from him. His eyes scanned her with curiosity and confusion, but his expression conveyed pity. He muttered something comforting, judging by the inflection of his voice. Pulling her forward and toward him again, he dropped her wrists and wrapped his arms around her in a reassuring gesture, pulling her closer to himself.

It didn't matter, though, she decided as she buried her face into his shoulder, the wetness she felt earlier returning with a vengeance. Nothing mattered. His soothing words, kind embraces; nothing.

Because no matter what he or she did, that one simple, irrevocable fact would remain:

_It_ was truly gone.

* * *

**A/N: **_Quick reminder that 'it' is Riza's soul, in case you forgot._

_Anyways, after mulling everything over what I have left, I have determined that there are 4 chapters left total. Next chapter will be titled _"Moment of Truth" a_nd will feature the (failed? successful?) transmutation. _

_I apologize for not answering reviews last time; school got out of hand for a while there, and now I feel like it has been too awkwardly long. But I just wanted to say that I genuinely and truly appreciate the reviews, favorites and follows, really!_

_See you next chapter!_

_*P.S.* Doctor Who reference… No shame!_


	23. The Moment of Truth

Reaching up, Riza slowly placed a hand over her heart and held it there, feeling the dull thuds resonate through her chest. Something wasn't right. It almost seemed as if there were a… disconnect. Looking up at the creature that sat cross-legged before her, she murmured, "I don't feel it anymore…"

When the silhouette hummed in reply, she looked up at it, searching its blank and expressionless face. "What… What does this mean?"

"_What does 'what' mean?"_

The reality of it all suddenly dawned on her, the realization filling her with despair. She could no longer feel it. She could no longer sense it. Her body… Why couldn't she feel it anymore?! All there was was the rhythmic beating of her heart, but the connection… The connection she held so firmly to had seemingly vanished.

Her lifeline, the one thing that bound her to her body, had slackened.

Looking up at the creature, she unbelievingly murmured, "What happens when a spirit is broken," though she feared she knew the answer.

And just as she had suspected, the creature grinned madly and answered, "_Oblivion_."

* * *

He should have known something was different the moment he laid eyes on her that morning. Something in her eyes screamed of desperation and longing. So when she took his face in her hands and pressed her lips against his, Roy's entire world came to a standstill.

The moment it happened, his entire body tensed, as if the action were completely foreign to him. But this was _Riza_; she was familiar. Every part of her was.

When his body recognized her, a feeling of security washed over him, his mind begging him to forget his inhibitions. He wanted nothing more than to match her force against his, to again feel as carefree and passionate as they had been before.

However, the thought was short-lived as he remembered why he could not give in.

This wasn't _her_. It was merely a fragment of the person she was. And even if it was her fighting against Truth's grip to reach him, allowing her to continue was dangerous and selfish.

Despite his body's protests against it, he slowly reached up and grabbed her wrists, pulling her hands away from his face. Taking one step back, then two, he watched as her face fell, the dejection and heartbreak evident on her visage.

Feeling a tightness forming in his chest, he slowly guided her toward him and dropped her wrists, and reached around her, pulling her into a tight embrace.

She gasped quietly before burying her face into his shoulder, wrapping her arms around his waist in an attempt to steady herself as her body quaked.

"I'm sorry," he murmured softly after drawing in a deep breath, weaving his fingers through her hair as he reached up to steady her head against his chest. "I'm sorry I couldn't protect you that day…"

It had been so long since he thought back to that day nearly two months ago, mostly because he knew that it would only bring about despair. So many mistakes were made that day, most of them from him. And now here they were, two lost souls trying desperately to reach out for each other in an attempt to reconvene once more.

He knew, however, that while they would be reunited again, his heart would not be the same. What kind of man would he become, no longer knowing the woman he loved…?

Over her shoulder, he glimpsed Edward and Alphonse as they rounded the corner, the pair watching them with pained expressions. He held his breath as Edward's eyes wandered up to his and fixated themselves on his stare.

And from that gesture, he knew.

Today was the day.

* * *

"Do you remember everything, General?"

Startled by the voice, Roy looked up at the younger Elric brother, who was eyeing him with concern. He hadn't realized that he had been idly standing at the edge of the circle, lost in his thoughts.

He remembered alright. Remembered every little detail Edward laid out for him. What he should and should not do. How he should think, how he should act. Everything that would ensure the transmutation would commence flawlessly.

They had worked it out so that he would transmute himself to the Gate in order to bring her back. Once he had exchanged his toll, Truth would release its grip on her soul, and it should return to her; her spirit completely intact.

It seemed so simple, and yet…

And yet it seemed as if there was something off…

Maybe it was the way they had planned, so meticulously and precisely that the entire process was broken down into the simplest of steps. Everything had been laid out and handed to him in order to ensure perfection. Normally it would seem that there was always a factor of unknowingness associated with the greatest of taboos, and yet here they were, the trio having it catabolized into basic science, exposed and complete.

Maybe it was the way the two brothers watched him, their eyes knowing and haunted. They had experienced this before and were now 'experts' in the art… If that's what you could call them. Edward's golden eyes reflected his innermost thoughts all too well. They shined with confidence, and yet, also with a hint of uncertainty. And Alphonse, his eyes portrayed the opposite, gleaming with hesitance…

Or maybe it was because he knew he would return a different man, one unknowing and unrecognizing of the one person that he held so dearly… The one that he loved with his entirety.

Looking toward Riza, he saw that she was watching him from across the room, her head tilted slightly in curiosity. It seemed that after that small 'episode,' she returned back to how she was, as if suddenly naive to any reasoning behind her actions.

That, he now realized, was why he had agreed so willingly to going forward now.

Stepping away from the brothers, Roy made his way over to her and crouched down in front of the chair she was seated on. Taking her hand from her lap, which elicited no protest from her, he held it between his own as he looked into her eyes and murmured, "Please be patient with me." He paused for a moment, not for her to answer, but to collect his thoughts.

Breathing in deeply, he continued softly, "I know that I may not be the person I was, but it doesn't change the fact that I love you." Looking down at her hand as he absently ran his thumb over it, he added, "The memories might vanish from my mind, but that won't change the fact that everything in them _did_ happen. So please," he added as he looked back up at her once more, "Please be patient… And wait for me."

He watched as her eyes flitted about, taking in his features and trying to find meaning behind his words. Even if there was no connection between his words and their meaning, he knew that it needed to be said. Edward and Alphonse would help guide him as well, but somehow saying those words out loud reassured and comforted him.

Then, after a few moments of searching, she smiled back, and that was all that he needed to continue on: the idea that he would still see that smile once again.

"General," he heard from behind him, cutting his thoughts off entirely. Looking over his shoulder, he saw that Alphonse, Edward, and May were watching them intently. He knew by their postures, and the tone of Alphonse's voice, that it was time.

Looking back to Riza, he held her gaze for a few seconds longer before gently raising her hand to his face, and pressing his lips to the back of it momentarily. When he pulled away, he rose to his feet and stole one last, longing glance toward her before making his way back over to the brothers.

He knew he could not dwell on the thought much longer, because by what Alphonse had told him regarding his thoughts, they were running on borrowed time.

Following Edward's gesture, Roy positioned himself at the edge of the array. He took a deep and long breath, filling his lungs to their maximal capacity, before slowly exhaling as his eyes wandered down to his feet and to the array that lie beneath them. Calling upon everything Edward had taught him, he slowly raised his hands and held them inches apart. But before he clapped them together, he looked up one last time.

First he looked toward Edward, who was eyeing him anxiously, the worry evident on his face. He knew that the young man was going over the formula again and again in his mind, wanting to be sure that it was perfect. Judging by his silence, Roy knew that Edward could not find anything flawed in his calculations.

Next he looked to Alphonse and May, who were leaning against the wall on the other side of the room. Surprisingly, the young alchemist and his companion had averted their eyes from his stare. Perhaps it was because the notion reminded Alphonse too much about his failed transmutation so many years ago. Shaking his head slightly, Roy forced the word 'failed' out of his mind, because he would succeed.

Finally he looked toward Riza, who was watching him intently, her eyes never wavering from him.

"_Picture what you want."_

* * *

_Roy looked up from the circle and shot a quizzical look toward Edward, who was standing at its edge._

"_Picture what you want," Edward said again, nodding toward the array. "You have to visualize what you want. In this case, you want her soul back._

"_It's hard to picture, since a soul is a mass of energy, but picture what her soul means to you."_

"_What she means to me…?"_

* * *

Just like Edward had explained. Picture what you want.

Taking a deep breath, Roy smiled and closed his eyes, allowing the air that filled his lungs to escape slowly as he exhaled. By closing his eyes, he knew that he'd be able to see her as clearly as ever. How it was when he lost his sight.

To him she was light; a light that illuminated the darkest, deepest corners of his mind. A radiance that never faltered, never wavered, and was always there.

She was happiness. A happiness that filled him every time he looked at her, brushed past her, or held her.

She was love…

So, in a sense, she was everything to him.

So by giving It everything she was to him, he knew that she would be returned to him.

At last he opened his eyes and looked toward her again, allowing a small smile to grace his lips. Seeing this, the corners of her lips twitched upward in reply, as if she knew.

And with that, he knew he could progress. Because everything _would_ be alright.

Holding his hands out in front of him, Roy stared down at them for a few moments, allowing everything to play through his mind once more. Everything would be alright…

Bringing his hands together with a thunderous clap, the array beneath him instantaneously lit up, glowing a deep blue hue. Within moments, a thick fog rose from the ground and began to circle him ominously. He expected it, however, and knew what would happen next…

As if on cue, the shimmering blue circle grew darker, becoming an almost sinister shade of purple. And with it was what he had been waiting for. The Eye of Truth opened beneath his feet, growing wider as It surveyed the one that threatened to oppose It. He, however, would do no such thing. Today he would welcome Truth with outstretched arms. ..

Then, without any warning, a series of red sparks danced and flickered across it, causing the Eye to narrow and squint, as if in pain.

Something wasn't right. That shouldn't have happened. There should be-

The ground beneath Roy's feet trembled as a shower of red sparks poured from the Eye, running into and flooding grooves that had not been present before. And within moments, the foreign red energy had formed a new and complete circle that contradicted the array that had beckoned the Truth.

Looking up in confusion, he saw Edward's lips moving frantically, his eyes widened panickedly, emitting a scream Roy could not hear.

Out of the corner of his eye, he could make out the Eye widening further than before, nearly becoming a perfect circle, its pupil dilated and enraged. But by that time he was too focused on her to care…

Turning and racing out from the circle, Roy frantically sprinted toward Riza, who was watching with a mix of horror and surprise at the show. But as he drew closer, a flurry of elongated black arms surged past him and toward her, the first that arrived wrapping around her wrists and torso.

She did not scream. She did not cry. All she did was struggle and continue to keep her eyes on Roy, reaching her arm out toward him in a futile attempt to be pulled free.

He too extended his arm to her and managed to grab hold of her, only to have her hand dematerialize in his. Frantically reaching out toward her again as he cried out her name, Roy's hand was only met by air as the black arms dispersed and withdrew, leaving behind absolutely nothing.

Before he could even think, before he could even process what was happening, he felt in immense pain in the center of his chest, causing him to falter forward.

Unable to pinpoint its cause, he looked down and saw that one of those child-like, black arms had reappeared and had driven itself straight through him.

* * *

She's gone.

Edward was running, sprinting toward Mustang, his hand outstretched toward him.

Gone.

Just like when Al was taken. Torn apart, ripped to shreds, and scattered; disintegrated into millions of tiny pieces.

Gone.

He was closing in, a few strides away, when something small and dark darted past him on the floor, slithering toward the General. It reached him before Edward did and before he could even react, the shadow hand had run itself through Mustang; straight through his chest.

Edward opened his mouth, letting loose a cry of despair as Mustang's head lolled forward to stare down at the foreign entity.

Then Mustang looked up and turned to him, his face paled and his eyes widened in realization at what was happening.

As Edward's reached Mustang, the arm withdrew itself as quickly as it had appeared and dissolved. Reaching out, Edward managed to catch him before he hit the ground.

Desperately looking down at the older man that was cradled in his arms, Edward tried frantically to cause him to stir, pleading his name over and over again as he did so.

But as the moments passed and the fog that had accumulated began to dissipate, Edward finally realized the horrible extent of what had happened as he stared down into the cold and lifeless eyes of Roy Mustang.

* * *

**A/N: **_My hand slipped…? Well, what if I told you I knew what I was doing…? O_O;;_

… _So what did Alphonse do? He seems pretty guilty of something! _

_Okay, so three more chapters left! I'll try working on them, but with two looming exams before the next break I will be bogged down. At the very least I offer you the name of the next chapter, which will either be "Extinguished Flame" or "Sacrifice." _

_Per usual, thank you for the reviews, favorites, and follows! You guys are great! *vanishes into the night*_


	24. Sacrifice

There was no solid foundation.

There was no light.

There was no hope.

There was nothing but the cries and screams of agony and pain… His own agony and pain.

These cries were all that filled Roy's ears as he passively drifted through the darkness that surrounded him. The longer he aimlessly existed there, the more his panic escalated inside of him.

Maybe it was because the yells were his and his alone.

Maybe it was because there was no one else there with him.

Or maybe it was because he could not remember how he had gotten there in the first place…

* * *

Edward opened his mouth to speak, scream, something… But found that he produced no sound. He continued to stare down as the General's eyes stared vacantly up and into his. So dull, so lifeless…

Suddenly Mustang's body was pulled from his as May Chang sat down in front of him. Taking over for him, she leaned over and pressed her ear to his chest, just above his heart. After a few moments, she gasped and exclaimed, "He's not breathing!"

"Start resuscitation methods, May. We have to keep his body alive!"

Snapping his head around, Edward eyed Alphonse with complete and utter disbelief. His face and body exuded as much confidence as his voice had. He looked so calm and collected… So put together.

With a savage roar, Edward leapt to his feet and grabbed the front of Al's shirt, slamming him into the wall. When Al stared back almost with indifference, Edward snarled, "What did you do, Alphonse?"

"Brother," Al began as he raised his hands defensively.

"Don't 'Brother' me, Al. What. Did. You. Do?!"

* * *

Everything had happened so quickly.

All at once those black hands had appeared and taken hold of her, wrapping around her and tearing at her.

She didn't run. She didn't scream. All she wanted… Was to reach him…

And now she was standing in a vast room that was an endless expanse of white.

However, she wasn't alone…

* * *

It didn't seem possible, but here it-she, was.

Her body…

The longer Riza stared, the less she seemed to believe it…

When she took a step forward and reached out toward it, it took two steps back in alarm.

Pulling her hand back and stopping, she took a moment to truly, _truly_, look at her body. It was just as she remembered seeing in the mirror those few, rare times she dared herself to look. Except…

"You're thinner than I remember," she mused.

Hearing this, her body relaxed and took a step toward her. "I tried," it explained.

"I know," she responded lightly as she began to feel tautness on the line that connected them, causing her to take another step forward.

It too advanced until they were within arm's length. Extending her hand toward it, Riza murmured, "I'm ready to come back…"

"Me too," it responded as it reached forward and took her hand in its own.

Closing her eyes, Riza felt the bond reform as her the form her essence took began to fragment and erode away, the bonds her soul and body had becoming tenser with each bit that chipped away…

"_It seems that Alphonse Elric managed to reunite you, after all."_

Turning toward the creature that had spoken, Riza wrapped her arms around herself and closed her eyes for a moment, feeling the bond between her body and soul already becoming stronger. When she opened them, she smiled lightly and said, "I wouldn't have expected less from him."

"_Interesting that you chose to seek help from him over the Flame Alchemist," _It mused.

"Why wouldn't I," she countered. "After all, he more than anyone knows what it's like to dwell in a body that isn't your own."

"_Perceptive," _the creature observed. "_Now, let's discuss your payment_."

* * *

"You… You changed the array," Edward muttered as his grip on his brother's shirt loosened. Moving to stare over his shoulder, he looked past May as she continued to sustain Mustang's body, and toward the transmutation circle. At least from where he stood, it looked as it had before…

Completely letting go, he numbly staggered around May and Mustang and fell to his knees in front of the circle. Slapping his hands on the ground, he leaned forward and stared at it… And began noticing the changes.

They were subtle; so subtle that it would be impossible to detect them if one was not looking for them specifically.

A redirection of a line here, or a slight change to a rune there. But it was enough… Enough to form the transmutation circle into a reverse circle. So instead of concentrating its power on the center like it was supposed to, it was instead directed toward the edges… Toward the true "reactant."

Toward Hawkeye.

Without looking back at his brother, Edward growled, "What made you decide to do it?"

Without missing a beat, Alphonse answered, "She told me to."

Upon hearing that revelation, Edward's head snapped around, his eyes narrowed at his younger brother. "She _told_ you?! How could she-"

"She made the effort to, Brother," Alphonse stated confidently. "She drew herself back to tell me."

"Why," Edward cried out. "Why would she do that?!" At that, Alphonse flinched, causing Edward's eyes to widen in alarm. "Do you realize what might have happened when she did that? Her spirit was strained enough as it was! If that severed it, then they're both trapped there!" Turning back to the damned circle, he slammed his fist on the floor.

"She said that if you had gone through with it the way the circle was constructed, the General would die," Alphonse finally replied after hesitating. "It would take everything from him: his memories, his heart-"

"And what good did that do," Edward snapped venomously. "They're both gone now. There's no way that-"

"Brother, please," Alphonse exclaimed, stopping Edward midsentence. "Please… We have to trust her..."

* * *

"But first," Riza began as she narrowed her eyes at the creature, "I want you to tell me why my soul remained here, despite telling me that once the connection was lost, there would only be oblivion."

For a moment the creature seemed surprised, though it quickly recovered, chuckling to Itself. _"Good question," _It said. _"You are correct; when a spirit is severed the soul will depart and pass through the Gate, never to return. However," _It explained, _"You obviously could still feel the beating of your heart, could you not?"_ When she nodded, It continued. _"Despite what others say, a soul can never be transected perfectly without severing the spirit completely, destroying the bond between body and soul. When this occurs, the spirit will break at its root._

"_Since you could still feel the beat of your own heart; _that_ should have been enough to tell you that the spirit, to whatever extent, was still intact."_

"Then why go through the trouble of making me believe that it wasn't," she accused.

Grinning widely, It quipped, _"I did no such thing. You simply asked what happened, and I merely provided an answer." _Leaning forward, It rested its elbows on Its knees and set its chin atop Its intertwined fingers. _"Now, about that payment you promised…_

"_I've been eagerly awaiting your answer. Is that truly what you are willing to sacrifice?"_

With zero hesitation, Riza nodded and said, "Yes. There's nothing else I could possibly offer."

* * *

Just as Edward was about to counter back against his brother, the circle began to glow beneath his hands, producing a thick blanket of fog as it brightened. Pushing himself back, he watched as the light intensified; becoming so strong that he was forced to shield his eyes.

Moments later there was a loud _crack_, which was immediately followed by darkness. Pulling his arm away from his eyes, Edward held his breath as he stared into the thick fog that had formed, making out a form lying motionlessly on the ground.

As the smoke began to clear, Edward scrambled over to her and stopped just short of her.

From what he could immediately see, her body was as it was before, where the ears still remained dog-like, unchanged; however, nothing was missing and there was nothing that-

He stopped when he reached her face, freezing as his arm hovered above her back.

Her eyes were identical to Mustang's; cold and devoid of all life.

_No…!_

"H-Hawkeye," he stuttered. "No… No!" Pressing his hand down on her back, he leaned forward and called her name again. "Hawkeye! Hawk-" He stopped as he felt a warm sensation beneath his hand, causing him to pull it away in bewilderment.

Left behind on her shirt was a reddened and damp handprint. He watched in horror as the print grew larger, soaking into the folds of fabric on her shirt as they collapsed onto her back.

* * *

"_You have only referred to me as the daughter of flame alchemy. Never as Riza Hawkeye, the name I was given at birth. To you, I am simply the embodiment of this godforsaken art, and thus __**that**__ is what defines me!"_

* * *

Overcoming his initial shock, Edward clambered forward and grabbed the edge of her shirt, pulling it up enough to see…

Enough to see that the skin was entirely gone, exposing the muscles that would have normally lain beneath it.

* * *

_It grinned back manically, eager for the prize It was about to receive._

* * *

He stared down in horror as the stimulation caused every muscle fiber to twitch tetonically, the exposure of air irritating and infuriating them.

* * *

"_So take it… Take my back and the __**damned**__ secrets of Flame Alchemy that it holds!"_

* * *

A beat later, an audible gasp escaped her lips as her breath returned, her eyes widening in shock.

Edward instantly dropped her shirt and leaned forward on his hands. "Hawkeye-"

Looking up, her eyes zeroed in on Mustang. Ignoring Edward, she reached toward him and gasped, "R-Roy…"

* * *

"A fitting sacrifice, indeed_," the creature applauded her as the Gate behind her began to open. A flurry of small black hands erupted from the darkness, tangling themselves around her, dragging her back into the abyss. This time, however, she did not fight._

_Because she won…_

"Although," _It added as a second thought, _"A price must still be paid for opening the Gate."

_Before she could react, before she could scream in protest, the doors slammed shut in front of her, plunging her into darkness._

* * *

Crawling around Edward on her elbows, Riza tried desperately to reach him. "Roy," she cried out again, begging and pleading for him to answer.

From where she was, from what she could see, his vacant and cold eyes stared back.

_No…_

She reached him, placing her hands on his chest.

_No._

She screamed his name, fighting against the hands that had found themselves on her, attempting to pull her off of him.

_No!_

"**Roy**!"

* * *

Blinking slowly, Roy found himself in an expanse of white and nothingness. Turning his head back and forth, trying to understand, he was stopped when a voice reached his ears. Snapping his attention toward it, he saw that there was a silhouette seated before him, Its teeth exposed in a wild grin.

"_Welcome back," _It greeted him enthusiastically.

"What… What are you," Roy asked, dazed, confused. He had been floating in a sea of darkness when he was suddenly pulled away. Now he was here, standing opposite an unknown and frightening creature. "What is this place?! Why am I here!?"

"_So you don't remember me, then," _It observed as It got to Its feet and took a step in his direction.

"… Should I," Roy asked as the creature advanced toward him, causing him to take a step back.

"_I suppose not. It seems that the Gate has taken its price already," _It said as It moved to circle around him.

Taking another step back, then another, Roy's back found the large black Gate behind him, stopping his retreat. As the creature began to draw closer, his eyes were suddenly drawn to the spot it had been seated moments before.

Where the creature once sat was a large, deep red pool of blood. And trailing behind it as it stalked around were a series of bright red droplets that stained the nonexistent white floor.

Horrified by the sight, Roy's eyes snapped up to see the creature as it neared him. From the angle he was at, he could see that the creature was not completely a white silhouette. Because on Its back… On Its back was a patch of skin, with something etched onto it with red ink.

As his eyes narrowed in an attempt to read the oddly familiar sight, the doors behind him opened and a flurry of hands flew out, winding themselves around him as they began to pull him back. Crying out in confusion and fear, Roy tried desperately to free himself, but quickly found that their grasp on him was too strong.

As they pulled him into the darkness, the creature quipped, _"I look forward to seeing how this plays out," _before Roy's vision was completely consumed in black.

* * *

Resting her head against Roy's chest, Riza let loose a loud sob; the gravity hitting her with an insurmountable force.

It wasn't enough!

What she gave hadn't been enough for the creature.

It wanted more and she was too s_tupid_ to realize it!

It took him…

"Send me back," she cried as she gathered the cloth of his shirt in her hands. "Send me back!"

She heard Alphonse mutter something to her, felt his hand grab at her arm.

She jerked it away, sending a wave of pain ripping through her, the movement exacerbating her exposed back.

She didn't care. Nothing else mattered. This pain was nothing compared to losing him.

"_Send me back!"_

Someone said her name, refused her. Refused what she wanted.

"It can have it," she cried. "Anything It wants…! My heart… Take my heart! Just-just bring him back!"

Another hand was on her, trying to pull her away from him. But just as she was about to rebel, a loud gasp brought her attention back to Roy, simultaneously lifting his chest as a breath of air filled his lungs from beneath her forehead.

She froze as a dull thud filled her ears. The thud of a heartbeat…

Raising her eyes, she willed herself to look toward him as he coughed and choked, his body automatically resuming all function once again.

Through her blurred vision she could see one of the brothers rush over to his head as they called out his name, drawing him back to them.

She felt him shift beneath her as he attempted to sit up. At the same time, someone else looped their hands around her arms, helping to lift her off of his chest, and preventing her from moving toward him again.

As if his soul had fully returned, Roy gasped and sat upright, his eyes zeroing in on her as Alphonse helped ease her up. For a moment, there was no movement from either of them as they eyed each other; his eyes widened and hers flooded with amazement.

Then her shock, wonderment, relief, were quickly extinguished when his face darkened and his eyes narrowed as his hand shot up toward her, his fingers instinctively poised and ready to snap.

* * *

**A/N: **_Two more chapters to go O_O It's been quite an experience!_

_*Note: Just to make it clear again, Riza's body still has the dog-like features it had before. Remember back to the Chapter titled "Blood;" as they already have a way to correct the first transmutation… to an extent. If she wanted to try and correct what had happened before, she would have had to give up more, which she could not afford._

_Plus, honestly, I think that perfectly separating a chimera, even with transmutation, is extremely difficult and would require an immense price because they are two things blended together. The way I think of it is like putty; it's easy to mash two different colors together, but next to impossible to try and separate them once they are mixed…_

_So… Confused? Good. :P_

_See you next chapter!_


	25. Despite Everything

**Quick A/N: **_I had a question that I wanted to address that I fear was not explained very well last chapter (my mistake!). Riza still has the ears and tail, since the price for reclaiming her soul AND returning her body back to normal would be extremely difficult/"expensive." One way around that was explained a while back in the chapter titled "Blood" - where they could "reprogram" her cells. I have gone back and changed it to make it clearer. Sorry!_

* * *

"So when the time comes, you are to offer your back and the secrets of Flame Alchemy that it carries," _the creature mused for clarification, watching the blonde woman that sat cross-legged in front of It._

"_Yes," Riza responded adamantly. _

_It chuckled in reply. _"Well then, if you are offering such a prize," _It continued, raising Its hand and clenching Its fist shut, _"Why not offer more at once in order to regain the body you once had; why not take back your humanity?" _The corners of the creature's mouth curved upward at Its new offer, though Its smile fell when countered back._

"_Humanity is not defined by the body you possess. I learned that long before this ordeal, and was taught that lesson by a child," she answered. _

"_If there is a way to restore it to how it was before without sacrificing even more, then I will trust them. But when the time comes, I will offer my back as payment for my soul so that _he_ will not sacrifice himself for my sake."_

_Its grin returned, growing larger than before. _"If that is what you want," _It purred, _"I will not stop you…"

* * *

With a gasp, Roy's eyes flew open and immediately focused on the blond man hovering over him; Edward's face a mixture of shock and concern. Blinking a few times, he tried to make sense of the position he was in.

Then, all at once the memories returned.

The white figure…

The massive black Gate…

A '_price'_ It had said…

Everything, he realized, was as Edward had described years before… Human Transmutation.

Had he… Had he honestly performed it?

He knew well enough not to. He had seen the product of such an atrocious act. But if he had, something must have happened that caused him to. Something horrible…

Roy hadn't realized how heavy his chest felt before until something was lifted from it. Fighting through the daze and realization, he propped himself up on his elbows and angled upward, then froze.

Staring back were a pair of saffron-colored eyes, a mess of blonde hair.

_No… That's impossible._

Their eyes were locked, but in the corner of his field of vision, he saw it. The remnants of a circle, and not just any circle or array.

One that was designed for human transmutation.

It was true and what he was seeing now…

What he was seeing was not human.

He reacted, subconsciously raising his hand in defense of what he had done, out of _fear_ of what he had done.

His mind was racing, his heart beating so quickly that it threatened to burst through his chest. He remembers wanting her back… This past month all he wanted was to bring her back. And this-this is what happened.

What he was seeing was an image… One created by his own hand.

* * *

"Don't lie to me," Mustang snapped venomously toward Edward.

Immediately on the defensive, the blond took a step forward and growled, "For the last time, I am not lying to you. Why the hell would you even think that?!"

"I know what I saw, _Edward_, and the only explanation is human transmutation. I was at the Gate, wasn't I? That creature, the door; they're exactly as you described from before. It's because I was there that _that_ was made," he snarled.

"That _what_ was made," Edward taunted as he clenched his hands into fists at his side. "Just say it."

Through clenched teeth, the General responded, "For the last time, _that_ was not Riza Hawkeye. She's dead -"

"No she isn't," the blond man argued, "You aren't listening to me. Your memories were taken at the Gate and-"

"I thought it didn't work that way, _Edward_. As you can see," Mustang said as he raised his hands up, "My body is completely intact."

"Your body is intact but your brain obviously isn't; use your damn common sense," Edward growled back. "Do you honestly think that the Gate only considers taking a physical toll?! What about your eyesight, huh? Your eyes remained but your vision was gone!"

Narrowing his eyes, Mustang answered, "What are you talking about? My eyesight was lost doing battle on the Promised Day. I would never-"

"You were forced to," Edward snapped. "Don't you remember-"

* * *

_A wide, toothy grin._

* * *

"-The Homunculi forced you through the Gate as a sacrifice, along with Al and me-"

* * *

_It whispered something to him._

* * *

"-It took your sight as a toll; because you wanted to see change in our nation."

* * *

_He remembers wanting to see… something… again. _But what was it…?

That's when the memories began to grow disjointed and jumbled. Had he really done it once before this...?

* * *

Running his fingers agitatedly through his black hair, Mustang fell back into a chair. "You're not making any sense," he muttered as he clapped his hands on the side of his head and squeezed his temples. "None of what you're saying makes any damn sense…"

Seeing this change in the older man, Edward moved to kneel down next to him. When the General buried his face in his hands, Edward heard him mutter, "Why did you let me do it? Why did you allow me to perform human transmutation?"

"Mustang… We did it so we could bring her back. Please, you need to listen to me…"

"I thought we couldn't bring back the dead," the General said through his hands, his voice cracking. "I… You keep saying she's alive, she's here… But how… How is she alive when I have no memory of her?

"You turned a blind eye and allowed me to perform human transmutation and _that_ was the result. An image. Nothing more than a living, breathing, distorted image…"

Hearing a set of footsteps approaching, Edward turned to see Alphonse reappear in the room, carrying a photo album with him. Beckoning him over, Edward took the wrinkled photograph his younger brother offered to him and thrust it in front of Mustang's face.

From beneath his hands, Edward saw obsidian eyes widen for a moment. Then his hands fell away from his face and he slowly reached out and grasped the image, holding it up to his eyes with a trembling hand.

Without looking at the image, Edward knew what it was. The photograph she had held so dearly before was now in the General's hands.*

It was recent and it was from Ishval. The timestamp did not match what he believed to be true; surely it would-

A gasp escaped the General as he released one of his hands to place over his mouth, his eyes widened in confusion. After a few moments, he heard a muffled, "Oh my god," escape Mustang's lips as his confusion turned to shock.

* * *

She couldn't get that image out of her head.

Those cold, deadly eyes.

His look of loathing and disgust.

His swift and fluid movements, poised and ready to kill. Should his gloves have been on, and Edward, realizing what was happening, hadn't tackled him in time, Roy probably would have killed her.

After lying here for nearly a day, she began to think that it probably would have been better if his gloves were on; if he had snapped his fingers and disintegrated her. Especially if that meant the image burned into her mind would have been scorched along with her.

_Hey._

It would have been better.

_Captain…_

Better if he had finished the job.

_Hawkeye…? _Light touches.

Or better yet; if she had given more…

_Riza._

Why didn't she see this? How could she have been so stupid?!

_Riza!_

"_Riza."_

"Riza."

Blinking a few times, Riza realized that she was sitting upright, her legs hanging off the bed.

Staring back at her was a concerned Alphonse Elric; his face twisted in pain and distress.

Oh… It happened again.

Alphonse had said that his body often rejected his soul once he had returned. She remembers, of course…

She remembered when Edward ran panickedly into the room that she and Roy shared, blathering and babbling to Dr. Marcoh about Alphonse and his unusual state. Roy was unable to follow, but Riza had quietly slipped out after they had left, following them until they reached Alphonse's room.

What she saw was heartbreaking.

Edward had knelt down next to his brother's bed, his hand on his shoulder as he called Alphonse's name over and over again. The younger of the two, however, remained as still as stone, staring vacantly down at the floor as he continued to remain unresponsive to his brother's pleas.

There was a desperation in Edward's voice, displaying a fear that she had never seen in him before. A fear that his younger brother was gone for good.

They later discovered that his soul had left his body temporarily, returning after enough prodding and stimulation to bring him back. From what he had said, it happened increasingly less as time wore on…

"I'm sorry," she muttered as she looked up at him, forcing a smile. "I didn't realize…"

The young man shook his head. "It's okay, I understand."

"Was I gone long," she asked, her question weaker than she intended it to be.

"I don't know," he answered with sincerity. "I just walked in." When he finished his sentence, she saw his eyes wander over to her shoulder as he leaned his body slightly to the left.

Taking notice, she moved to lie down on her stomach; her action noted and appreciated as his hands helped her to lower herself down. Crossing her arms on top of her pillow, she rested her forehead against them and waited as he lifted the back of her shirt. He murmured something about her skin being split open in multiple places. Honestly, she didn't even notice; she was far too numb to feel it… or care.

She hoped that the young man wouldn't catch on to her uncaring demeanor; after all, he had spent hours rearranging the skin cells on her body in order to draw forth enough to cover her exposed back with a few thin layers. She hated having to ruin his hard work…

Riza heard the sound of paper tearing, signaling to her that he was opening a pair of sterile gloves so that he could close the wounds… again. And while he worked, they both remained silent, allowing the awkward essence that hung in the air to thicken.

Every time she asked about him, Alphonse would purse his lips together and remain silent, or would tell her that he didn't have enough information at the time.

That, she knew, was a blatant lie. Though she hated to admit it, the young man carried an aroma that had Roy mixed in with it. He had seen him multiple times. He knew damn well what was going on.

She knew that the boy's feigned ignorance or silence was his way at trying to protect her, but she did not see the reason why. It happened. It was done. There was nothing left.

"Alphonse."

His hands stopped and his heart rate jumped. He was expecting that question again…

"Will you be returning to Xing after this?"

The question threw him. He hadn't been expecting that.

Recovering quickly, his hands began to move as he continued to close the wounds. "I will be here helping you. Brother and I came up with a way to fix this. We can start in a few weeks after you've healed."

Using her own blood, she remembered. Alphonse had mentioned it previously, saying that it was possible to fix. The period of time it would require was long and taxing; the process extremely painful.

She almost laughed at that. She could go through one thousand transmutations and the combined pain still could not compare to the pain she felt in her heart.

"If you want to go, I won't stop you," she answered. "I only ask that you take me as well when you go."

Again his hands stopped. After a delay, he said, "Wait. You don't want to-"

"But I do," she interjected, stopping him midsentence; "There's… nothing left for me here."

"Please don't say that," he quietly pleaded. "You don't mean it!"

"I do," she countered coldly, definitively.

He didn't say anything for a while, defeated, continuing to sew her skin back together with his alkahestry. Finally, he quietly answered, "You're wrong, you know. There _is_ something for you here."

She suppressed the urge to reply with a bitter laugh, but she knew it wasn't his fault. Instead, after another long silence had dragged on between them, she noted, "You haven't explained any reasons."

He sighed, and she felt victorious. After collecting his thoughts, he said, "It took five years' worth of memories from the General," he finally admitted. "We've traced it back to the Promised Day and, well, he remembers Edward and me. I think that if we just-"

"It's just me, then, isn't it," she asked.

After another long pause, he quietly answered with a yes. "We're trying to figure out why, though…"

She knew why without the young man having to probe further, understanding that everything had come full circle now. It all made sense.

Because that day was the day he first said 'I love you.'

* * *

She remembers all too clearly that day.

Her throat violently slashed. Being left to bleed out as he helplessly looked on. Gathered shortly thereafter into his arms after being healed. A whispered, "I love you," in her ear before he pulled her to her feet.

It made sense that It would take everything after that point, because the moment he whispered those three words, everything in their relationship had changed. Closer contact, longer stares, prolonged touches. It was only a matter of time after that point that their relationship would grow… and it did.

The notion that that was the breaking point made her heart hurt worse. It would have been better if It had taken everything, because at least he wouldn't have to be plagued with memories of her to begin with.

Riza was drawn from her thoughts upon hearing a set of footsteps approaching. Too heavy to be Alphonse's and May's, too even to be Edward's.

That left only one person in this house…

Turning her head so that she was facing the wall rather than the door, she closed her eyes and relaxed her face, hoping to feign sleep.

The steps were quick and to the point, maneuvering around the room's obstacles until they came to a stop in front of her.

He dwelled there for a few moments; she could feel his eyes on her. At long last he shifted and sat down next to her, his gaze never wavering from her.

She continued to remain as impassive as she could; praying that he would leave after he saw whatever he came to see.

He whispered her name. It sounded so pure escaping his lips…

She felt her ear twitch in response and she silently damned it, keeping her eyes glued shut.

"Riza," he murmured again, brokenly. "Please…" He had seen through her façade…

Upon hearing his plea, she willed herself to open her eyes and allowed them to wander up and find his face.

Wide, obsidian eyes gazed back, conveying the helplessness of a boy rather than a man. Her heart began to ache again…

Seeing that she was watching him, he slid off the chair he was sitting on to kneel next to the bed, getting himself as close to her as he could. Reaching up, he slowly moved his hand and placed it atop hers, causing her to flinch. He drew back, but must have sensed that she wanted it, because he placed it there again. This time, however, she did not move it; and they remained there, unmoving and not speaking until he finally cleared his throat.

"I'm so sorry," Roy murmured as he squeezed her hand tighter. "How I responded… How I reacted was inappropriate." Dipping his head slightly, his gaze growing distant, he took a deep breath and continued. "I woke up and suddenly you weren't there in my mind anymore. Five years gone, just like that.

"I woke up believing that you have been gone since the Promised Day; that you never made it back with me. And now I know that you've been here beside me these past five years, just as you've always been. Edward and Alphonse… They told me what happened; what we've done and what you've gone through.

"I've tried so hard to call forth those memories, and every time I do it hurts. Edward, Alphonse, the team… They're all there. It's like there's a blank space or static that clouds my mind whenever I get to the parts where you should be. And this past month… This past month all I remember is thinking about you constantly, wanting to 'bring you back.' And now I know why…

"It seems that this was the price I paid. But you," he said as he looked up at her again, his expression pained, "You gave up your _back_ and the secrets of flame alchemy while I got off easy-"

She raised her brows in response to the middle of that statement.

Seeing this, his face softened as he explained, "My flame alchemy is gone. The notes in my mind, the secrets we shared; all gone."

She hadn't meant for this to happen. She wanted the secrets on her back gone, but it seemed the creature misinterpreted, or rather, twisted her words, and expelled flame alchemy from the Earth. Everything was gone. He was the Flame Alchemist no more…

"… I'm sorry," she finally said, sincerely. "I never mean for that to happen-"

"No, no, no," he interjected apologetically. "No, Riza, I don't mean that. I could care less that it's gone. All I want… All I've ever _wanted_," Roy murmured as he squeezed her hand tighter, "Is you."

Her heart leapt again as he looked, really looked into her eyes, obsidian darting about in order to find out whether or not she felt the same. Despite what had happened, losing his memories of their most pivotal and crucial years, he still did not bat an eye in saying that. Despite the fact that she had been torn to shreds and pieced back together, an incomplete version of who she was before.

Despite everything, he still loved **her**…

"Please stay," he quietly begged. "I… I can't lose you again."

"Roy…" she began.

"Please," he asked again, his eyes growing wide and his voice tinged with desperation, with fear of loss. "I can't lose you again..." he said as he bowed his head, as if in prayer.

"Roy," she said again as she pulled her hand out of his, causing him to flinch this time. Guiding it under his chin, she raised his head so that he could look into her eyes.

Despite everything… He still loved her.

**Her**.

She watched as his eyes light up, seeing the soft smile she felt spreading across her face. "I have always been here... And I always will be."

* * *

**A/N: **_I hope this chapter wasn't too disjointed or confusing. **The next chapter, aka the final chapter, will clear up any remaining confusion.** Just remember that Roy's memories are intact (ex. He knows and remembers Edward and Alphonse) but Riza is not in them; as he had mentioned(think of it like whiting-out his memories for the past five years). You'll see a bit of what that's like next chapter; plus it will house an explanation for Roy's confusion over this first (forced) human transmutation._

_*For the photograph, think back to Chapter 17: One Team (toward the beginning)._

_Also, I hope the end wasn't corny or cheesy… But that was the ending I foresaw so therefore it happened. See? I'm not too horrible a person. ._. Especially if I tell you that the final chapter will be full of fluff and happy endings?_

_Thanks for the reviews, favorites, and follows so far. See you for the final chapter!_


	26. Only Human

_In that moment, as he was holding that photograph, a wave of dread and realization flooded him; the intensity and strength of it so powerful that if he were standing, he surely would have been brought to his knees._

_There, plain as day was Riza, standing off to the side as he broke his handshake with one of Ishval__'__s most renowned priests. And though he had just finished acknowledging the man before him, his eyes were on her and hers on his; hers holding an expression that he could only describe as love. _

_And his… His face mirrored hers._

_But how…?_

_He reached back in his memory and greedily pulled at it, drawing it into his mind. He remembers every detail of that day; down to the very moment he broke that handshake. But as he struggled to recollect the moments that proceeded after that, he found that he could not._

_Because the more he struggled against it, the more it hurt, and the more frustrated he became._

_The proof was in the picture. She was _there._ Standing beside him as if nothing were wrong. As if she hadn__'__t perished on the Promised Day. As if she hadn__'__t been gone for five long and grueling years._

_Brushing his fingertips over the photograph, he searched his other memories, discovering that many of them were full of distorted and hazy images._

_Had that been her? All of it? All of this pain and cloudiness that practically filled these past five years?_

_All of it had been her…_

_Feeling a hand on his shoulder, Roy reluctantly pulled himself from his deep thought and allowed his hollowed glance to find the softened and knowing golden eyes of Edward Elric._

"_Do you believe us now," he asked quietly, eagerly._

_Blinking slowly, the gravity of it all hitting him at once, Roy numbly nodded his head. "Can I-Can I see her," he murmured more weakly than he intended to._

_Edward's face twisted in pain and he was about to shake his head when Roy felt his heart sink, his face no doubt reflecting what he had just felt. Shutting his mouth and clenching his jaw, Edward considered the question before quietly muttering, "You can try…"_

* * *

_The sound of his heart beating in his ears was the only thing keeping Roy bound to this world. Because at that moment, his thoughts were elsewhere. _

_He was terrified. Terrified that she would reject him because of his actions; because honestly, he wouldn't blame her. _

_He kept replaying that moment in his mind over and over again. Hating himself even more every time he played it through. She had looked at him so lovingly, so hopeful. And then… And then when he instinctively raised his fingers to her, her expression had fallen and the light in her eyes had dimmed._

_He felt like a monster…_

_Blinking slowly, his surroundings came into focus around him… And he realized that he was there, sitting beside her bed. Roy felt his heart skip a beat, his mouth becoming dry and clammy._

_Suddenly he was at a loss for words. Opening his mouth, he promptly shut it, his mind completely blank. He couldn't turn back now, though. He was here. _

She_ was here._

_The longer he remained silent, the more of her features he took in. And yet, the more her features melted away. _

_It wasn't just anybody lying before him. It wasn't an abominable creation pulled together by alchemy. And it certainly wasn't a failed attempt at human transmutation._

_This was Riza Hawkeye, the woman he always had loved._

_Suddenly her name instinctively escaped his lips, rolling off his tongue like it was the most natural thing he could ever say. Realizing what he had done, he swallowed thickly and waited. _

_A beat later her ear twitched, and he knew that she was listening, though she did not attempt to open her tightly closed eyes._

_He whispered her name again, pleading for her to acknowledge him._

_And when she had willed herself to look up at him, he saw that her expression was as hollow and lifeless as his had been, causing all of his feelings of remorse and regret to come crashing back to him._

_Without another thought, he slid off the chair he had seated himself on and rested his hand on hers. Then, he began to pour his heart out, the words flowing freely from his mouth as he appealed to her, saying anything and everything he was feeling, experiencing, thinking._

_At last he finally said those words… Those words that reflected his desperation and deepest fear. "Please…," he said as he bowed his head and took a shaking breath, "I can't lose you again…"_

_The pause that followed seemed to last an eternity, causing the knots in his stomach to tighten. He was losing her… He was losing her again-_

"_Roy." Her hand slipped out from beneath his, causing him to flinch. He was losing her…_

_Feeling a light pressure beneath his chin, he passively allowed the force to guide his face upward until his eyes were met by eyes of saffron. _

_Her eyes flickered back and forth, searching his grief-stricken face. Then her lips tugged upward in a smile as the light once again returned to her eyes. "I've always been here… And I always will be."_

_And when he heard those words, he truly and irrevocably believed that: no, he never really did lose her._

_This was Riza Hawkeye, the woman he always had and always _will_ love._

* * *

Wearily opening his eyes, Roy fought to recollect where he was and how he got there, blinking slowly as he scanned the part of the room before him. Oh right, he recalled as he yawned widely; he was at the Rockbell residence-

He froze when he realized that there was a pressure against his back, though a small smile crept across his face a beat later. Just to confirm that he knew who it was, he twitched his leg slightly, feeling something soft resting atop it, confirming his hypothesis. From time to time, _it_, as she not-so-affectionately referred to the tail, would escape the confines of her pajama bottoms and find itself lying across his leg, as if she were subconsciously trying to find another way to make sure he was close.

That, among a few other things, were all just small quirks he had discovered in such a short amount of time and subsequently found endearing, although she begged to differ…

It was hard to believe that it had been two months since he had lost his memories, and every day since then had been a constant struggle against himself and what he knew to be true. The one, unwavering constant, however, was her.

Despite his confusion and constant frustration with himself, Riza had never once left thought of leaving again. Even though he often found himself thinking she had every right to leave him behind after he had initially reacted, time and time again she proved him wrong by continuing to remain at his side as she too recovered.

Like Alphonse when he was first returned to his body, her soul was predisposed to occasionally leaving hers as well, only to return a short time later. Oftentimes during that period, however, it would seem that she would seek him out until she found him, resulting in her crawling into bed in order to remain close to him. Unfortunately this movement resulted in her reopening the wounds on her back, as he would often wake up with the back of his nightshirt stained with as much blood as hers.

He had insisted many times that she was more than welcome to share a bed with him in order to eliminate the issue altogether, but she, and Alphonse, stayed adamant when it came to her sleeping separately from him.

For her it was a matter of feeling comfortable with herself and her body. Although Roy insisted that it was fine, she still remained uncompromising, saying that it would only happen once her body was returned.

For Alphonse, it was a matter of making sure she didn't stretch and pull her skin to the point of opening, but given the past two months' history, it was relatively ineffective. It seemed that no matter what he or May did, it would only take one of them to let their guard down before she would disappear, only to reappear in Roy's bed next to him. But now that her spirit had grown stronger, the only reason for her to be doing this now as because…

Slowly and cautiously moving away, he carefully rolled over and watched her for a few moments. His movements did not seem to faze her, as her side continued to rise and fall with the same rhythm it had been before. He admired her long, blonde hair and the way it framed her shoulder and back before being fanned over the pillow she was resting her head against. And as he watched her, he realized once again how difficult it was knowing that he lost five years of this; well, technically, three years of waking up next to her.

Reaching up, he lightly tapped her shoulder. She did not stir, breathing as evenly as she had been before. He did it once more, and again there was no response.

He supposed that he would have to resort to desperate measures again. Taking a deep breath, he held it for a few seconds before releasing a small puff of air. A beat later her ear twitched, flattened out, and then resumed its position.

He tried again; this time with a harder blow. Again it twitched in agitation, just as she began to stir. Attempting to hide the smile he felt forming on his lips, Roy squeezed his eyes shut to feign sleep. When he heard her roll over, he opened them again and smiled, his onyx eyes peering into saffron.

"Good morning," he said, his voice still thick from sleep. "Funny how we always seem to wake up at the same time."

For a brief moment she smiled at the remark, though it quickly turned into a frown. "I'm sorry," she muttered, "I thought I would be over this by now."

Shaking his head, Roy said, "There's no need to apologize, Riza. You know that I don't mind."

"Well, at the very least-" She cut herself off and groaned as the sheets behind her shifted in response to moving _it_. Rolling onto her back and laying her forearm across her eyes, she sighed heavily in self-loathing. "Maybe a belt would fix that issue," she muttered dishearteningly.

"Hey now," Roy protested as he took her hand and pulled it away from her face, causing her to look toward him again. "You know that it isn't something you can help, so why worry about it? Like I said," he added with a sincere smile, "I don't mind." Then, weaving his fingers between hers and held her hand, he changed the subject as he murmured, "Is there something on your mind?"

For a moment she hesitated, but then sighed, probably knowing that he'd press if she lied to him. "I guess I'm just nervous," she finally admitted. "But I suppose anyone would be."

Giving her hand a soft squeeze, Roy answered, "And you have every right to be. But just remember that today is a trial run; we won't be doing a lot at once. Alphonse will show me how it's done and Edward will be there to supervise. And," he added as he raised her hand to his lips and kissed the back of it, "I will be there. I always will be." When he saw her smile at his reassuring remarks, he asked, "Would you like to play a round," hoping the change in subject would take her mind off of what was to come. He already knew her answer if he asked her to consider waiting. She had been adamant that today would be the day it all began.

Her smile widening at the suggestion, Riza said, "I would love to."

Rolling over and toward the bed's nightstand, Roy snatched the picture that was on top of the large pile he had placed there. Turning back toward her, he held up the polaroid and playfully said, "Tell me about this one."

She smiled lightly and shook her head. "I've told you about that one a number of times, Roy. Don't you want another story?"

Riza had told him that story eleven times to be exact, but he knew that she loved telling it. And frankly, he loved hearing it.

Rather than try and fill him in on every detail of the time he had missed with her, which would be next to impossible to do in one sitting, they had agreed on a little game that they liked to call 'a memory a day.' In order to 'play' this game, Roy would choose a picture of himself, of her, or the two of them together, and she would tell him what she remembered about that day to the best of her memory. And although it was called _a_ memory a day, most of the time they found themselves getting lost in it, carrying on for hours on end. At this point, Roy felt confident saying that she had filled him in on almost a year and a half of their escapades.

The picture in question was of her sitting in the chair she had helped him pick out to decorate his front living room. In it, she was wearing a comfortable red Winter Solstice sweater with black pants, her legs pulled up onto the chair and to her chest, hiding the sweater's design almost completely. With one brow raised inquisitively, her hot cocoa mug was up to her lips, a small smile painted across her face.

This was his favorite picture of her so far…

When he shook his head and gave her a pleading look, she relented and sighed, rolling onto her side so that she faced him. Pointing at the picture, she began, "This was taken last year on Solstice's Eve, just after we exchanged gifts.

"You had gotten the hot chocolate and seemed so intent on watching me drink it, occasionally taking pictures when you set your glass down, saying that you wanted to remember every detail of our first Solstice together..." She paused for a moment, possibly reflecting on the notion that in the end, he would never truly remember that time together. After a few seconds, however, she continued on as if she hadn't stopped. "But once I had almost gotten to the bottom you ran out of film, so while you went to refill it, I decided to go and clean the cups out. I vaguely remember hearing a clanking, metallic noise when I emptied mine, but got distracted when you came back; you were looking a bit worse for wear.

"After that, you pulled the entire sink and its plumbing apart. At the time I had no idea what you were doing, but you assured me that it would all be worthwhile once you fixed the problem."

"You kept talking about this mysterious 'thing' that supposedly went down the drain, but you never said what it was," Roy said as a smile began to form on his lips. "Tell me, what exactly _was _it?"

With a light grin, Riza said, "I think you know what it was."

"I don't know," Roy began, "My memory's a bit fuzzy. I think I'll need some help on this one."

She shook her head and chuckled softly. "A ring, dear."

"Oh, that's right," Roy exclaimed as he slapped his palm against his forehead. "Now I remember. So tell me, what did I do with said ring?"

"Like I said," Riza explained, "You decided to keep it until after your inauguration ceremony, because it's difficult planning that _and _a wedding."

He could feel the smile on his face growing. "I suppose that sounds like me."

Just as she was about to open her mouth to respond, a knock on the door interrupted her. "Come in," she called as she moved away from Roy and sat up, much to his disappointment.

The door opened, revealing Edward Elric. Without batting an eye at the fact that Roy had been the only one in the room when he had retired for the night, the young man said, "I just wanted to let you guys know that we have everything all set up, so you can come down whenever you're ready." And with that he ducked out and closed the door with a soft _click_, opting to give them time for any last minute discussion.

Sitting up and turning to Riza, Roy looked her in the eye murmured, "Are you ready? Honestly?"

Taking his hand in her own once again and intertwining her fingers with his, Riza smiled softly and said, "As long as you're there, I'll always be ready."

* * *

"Alright," Edward said to no one in particular as he finished filling in a rune in the small transmutation circle he had sketched on the floor. Sitting back on his heels and taking one last look at it, he noted, "I've double and triple checked and everything seems to be in order. It's only drawn for a small reaction this time, so just keep that in mind when we activate it." Looking up at Roy, who was just putting the final touches on his task, he asked, "Almost done?"

"Just… about," Roy said, still in deep concentration. After dipping the fine-tipped brush into the small bowl of red liquid in his hands, he reached up and dragged it across Riza's cheek, making one final red line on her face.

"And how are you feeling," Edward asked as he eyed her next.

Wrinkling her nose at the scent of the blood, Riza admitted, "A bit gross, but I'll live."

Edward nodded in reply as he looked at Roy's flawless handiwork. Aside from drawing two lines on either one of Riza's cheeks, he had also drawn lines and patterns down her arms and hands; anywhere there was skin exposed. That way, Edward had explained, it would be absorbed into her body.

Taking a step forward, Alphonse confidently said, "I'm ready whenever you are."

Turning to Riza, Roy looked into her eyes and smiled as he reached forward and cupped his hand over hers, taking care not to smudge his work. _I'll be right here_, he silently conveyed with his expression.

Seeming to understand this, she nodded toward him and smiled lightly. Rotating her head toward Alphonse, she said, "I'm ready."

"Alright," the younger Elric replied as he knelt down in front of her. Clapping his hands together, he pressed one thumb against her forehead and held his fingers beneath her chin. A beat later her body tensed and immediately relaxed.

Reaching out, Roy caught her and slowly lowered her down, resting her in the center of the circle. After surveying her and taking one final look, he reluctantly moved away from the center and toward the array's edge. With his eyes still on her, he murmured, "I'm ready."

Out of the corner of his eye he saw Alphonse nod toward Edward, who bobbed his head in response. Stepping just beyond the boundaries of the array, the young man clapped his hands and drew them apart, golden discharges of energy dancing between his fingers.

After taking a deep breath, he knelt and slapped his hands down on the array.

* * *

With a heavy sigh, Roy slowly opened his eyes, only to be met by darkness.

The first thing he registered was that it was still early based on the lack of light that streamed into the room from beneath the drawn shades.

And the second thing he registered was that there was no pressure against his back.

Frowning slightly, he rolled over and saw that the bedsheets were pulled up to the pillow that was next to his. After staring longingly at it, he decided that it was time to get up. Turning back to his side of the bed, he swung his legs over the edge and planted them on the cold hardwood floor. Pushing himself upward, he shuffled around the bed and made his way out of the bedroom and down the hall.

Turning the corner, he saw that the guest bedroom door was open. Making his way over to it, he leaned against the doorframe and folded his arms across his chest. Only letting the scene before him play out a few seconds longer, he cleared his throat, causing the blonde woman seated in the chair in the room's center to jump slightly.

Looking up to see that it was Roy, she freed one of her hands and pressed her pointer finger to her lips to ask for silence.

Nodding in agreement, he slowly stepped into the room and carefully made his way around the blond-haired toddler that had decided the floor was the optimal place to sleep. Walking behind the chair Riza was seated in, Roy put his hands on her shoulders and leaned forward, planting a gentle kiss on her temple. Wrapping his arms around her shoulders, he rested his chin atop her head and looked down at the small bundle in her arms. "You know, you should have woken me up when you heard her fussing. It's been my turn since the first night they stayed here with us."

She hummed softly in reply but didn't argue with him. "That's true, but when I hear her I just naturally get up. And when I see you sleeping so soundly, I can't make myself wake you."

"You know you'll have to in the future," he replied matter-of-factly, to which she nodded in agreement.

After letting the silence drag out a little longer, he murmured, "She's a lot bigger than her brother was. Must have gotten it from his mother."

Reaching blindly up, she found his cheek and playfully swatted her hand against his in light reprimance. "Don't say that," she scolded softly as she nodded toward the child on the floor, "What if he had heard?"

"You know his temper isn't as bad as Edward's," Roy quietly pointed out as he eyed the young boy warmly.

"Still," she said with a light chuckle, "You don't want to put anything in his mind at such a young age."

"Alright, alright," Roy agreed with a small smile as he hugged her tighter. "And speaking of Edward, what time are the Elrics coming back?"

"I believe around noon or so," Riza replied as she looked back down at the baby girl in her arms, which had begun to quietly fuss.

Seeing this, Roy released his hug and stepped around the chair and extended his arms toward her. Riza looked down at the child and hesitated, still absorbed in the moment. However, remembering Roy's words, she smiled as she gently handed over the small pink bundle.

Grinning as he looked down into the bundle's bright blue eyes, Roy rocked the baby gently, deciding that he looked forward to the day he would become a father.

Because when that happened, they would be able to live moments like this every day. And for that, he could not wait.

* * *

"We really appreciate you guys watching the kids," Winry said as she rocked baby Annalise back and forth in her arms, admiring her cooing child.

"Yeah," Edward agreed. "And I'm assuming it was good practice, right?"

Nodding in reply, Riza said, "They were both very good. We're always happy to watch them." And in response to Edward's question, she smiled knowingly toward him. "Any practice or advice is always appreciated."

"Well, you've got, what, two years or so," he asked as he eyed the Fuhrer and his wife, raising his brow at his own question.

"Give or take," Roy said with a shrug as he reached around Riza and draped his arm over her shoulders, which she accepted by leaning into him.

"I figured you'd be moved up to the front of the adoption list, being the Fuhrer and all," Edward observed.

"You'd think that," Roy agreed, "But I specifically asked that we be treated just as anyone else would. It feels more fated that way."

Riza saw Edward nod in agreement. He and Alphonse, more than anyone, completely understood.

It had taken them nearly two years and fourteen 'treatments' to return her body to normal. Save for the flecks of gold in her sherry eyes, her features had been completely normalized. However, they had all agreed that if children were in the future of the couple, it would be better that they not be biological. Although Riza looked and felt completely normal, they had a fear that some of the genetic particles remained and could be passed on, despite the multitude of treatments they had done.

After their marriage three months ago, the couple decided that they would eventually want a child, even if it wasn't their own. May had eagerly suggested adoption and shortly after that the pieces began to fall into place.

"And Edwin didn't ask too many questions, did he," Edward inquired as he looked down at his son, who was sleeping in his father's lap.

"Not any more than he already does," Riza answered with a smile. "He's a very inquisitive young man... Not too unlike his father."

"Yeah," Edward agreed as he looked down at his sleeping son, "But the question about changing your hair gets old pretty fast."

Chuckling, she shook her head, "Honestly I don't mind. I'm just surprised he still remembers."

The memories in question, they assumed, revolved around her ears throughout the nearly two years of treatments. When the child was old enough, he would take every opportunity he could to grab onto them, soon having them deemed as his favorite playthings. When they had finally disappeared, the first thing the young child would ask her was if she changed her hair, seemingly disappointed in the fact that they were gone.

"Yeah, me too," Edward agreed with a nod. Looking down, he noticed that the young boy began to stir. Looking toward Winry, they exchanged knowing glances and small smiles.

Turning back to Riza and Roy, Edward grinned and said, "Well, we should really get going. We have a long train ride ahead of us."

"Of course," Riza answered as she rose to her feet, which in turn invited them to stand on theirs.

After she and Roy led them to the front door and the family of four stepped out, Edward turned back to them and smiled broadly. "Like we said before, we really appreciate it. If there's anything you ever need," he added, "You're always welcome to call."

"We definitely will," Riza said as she leaned slightly against the doorframe, the corners of her lips turned upward.

At that Edward nodded and raised his free hand to brace Edwin's head against his shoulder, but not before casting one last glance toward Riza as he turned away.

It was a gesture she had become increasingly used to. At first she didn't understand the meaning behind this glance when she received it from either Edward or Alphonse. But after she thought about it, she realized that it wasn't a look of scrutiny or judgment. Rather, it was a subtle look of awe and wonderment.

It made sense knowing the boys' pasts. How hard they had worked to make something like this happen. And now that they made it possible, they couldn't help but admire their handiwork.

The look that she gave either one of them in response, much like the one she did at that moment, silently thanked them, because she truly felt that she could never say it enough. After a final wave from both Edward and Winry, she watched as they departed in the car they had called for.

Closing the front door, Riza turned back to her husband and sighed contently, then walked over to him and wrapped her arms around his waist. Resting her head against his shoulder, she felt a smile form on her lips as he returned her embrace, pulling her even closer to himself.

After they remained there for a few minutes, listening only to the sounds of their even breaths, Roy broke the silence as he whispered, "I love you."

"And I love you," Riza answered as Roy loosened his grip on her and took a step back. A bit confused, she watched him longingly as he grinned at her, taking in her every feature in the dimly lit threshold, both flawed and perfect; his obsidian eyes staring deeply into brown. Reaching up, he pushed a loose strand of hair behind her ear as he whispered those words back to her again. Then, cupping her face in his hands, he leaned forward and softly pressed his lips against hers. Riza eagerly matched her force against his, her physicality repeating what he already knew.

* * *

…

Leaning back against the bed's headboard, Riza inhaled quietly as she held the sleeping two month old baby in her arms against her chest and shoulder, supporting his black-haired head with her hand. She smiled to herself as she exhaled, happy that _both_ of her boys were finally sleeping.

Glancing to her left, she watched as Roy's side rose and fell, his back to her and the door as it always was.

He was tired; more tired than she had ever seen him. Being the most powerful man in the nation would do that to anyone though. Regardless of his position, however, he always found time for them.

She too was tired but she embraced it, because it was a constant reminder to her what her life has become; how perfect it was. For now she was working from home, tending to their adopted son while trying to keep everything in the Fuhrer's office as in order as she possibly could while not being there.

And when she returned to work in a few months, she imagined that she'd be even more exhausted than before. But in the end, that wouldn't matter. Because right here and right now, everything that had lead up to this moment made it perfect.

As long as she had them, she could overcome any obstacle that stood in her way, whether it be memories of the past or challenges of the present. But for now she closed her eyes and allowed herself to finally breathe and rest.

Because after all, she was only human.

* * *

**A/N: **_And that's the end. I really hope that you guys enjoyed it and enjoyed the fact that I used this chapter as a 'snapshots' type of chapter (and didn't think it was as scattered as I thought it was). I had thought about doing some one-shots to detail the events between the beginning of this chapter and the end, but I'm happy with how this turned out. Just assume that there were lots of cuddles and awkward ear stages._

_This is officially the end of my second multichapter story and now I don't know what to do with myself XD I might turn a one-shot I just published into a Brotherhood AU story, though I'm starting to think of it on a scale larger than just Royai for it, with probably Parental!RoyEdAl and various pairings. If I do, I'll probably change the name from "Shadows" to "Gravity," with a description like: _In an act of desperation after being dealt a fatal blow by Van Hohenheim, Pride makes the fateful choice of latching itself onto the closest vessel it can find. This decision, however, forever changes the fates of those involved, as well as the ultimate outcome of the Promised Day.

_Otherwise, I welcome all suggestions or prompts because now that it's summer, I have a lot more time to write!_

_Anyways, this is getting long. So thank you to all that have favorited, followed, and reviewed this story. I truly couldn't have done it without your support! I truly appreciate it and am incredibly honored that you followed this._

_So thank you_

_-TFaHE_


	27. Bonus Chapter: Beauty

**A/N: **_I know the story is marked as "__**Complete**__," but I suddenly got this idea when I was flying to my summer internship. Around the same time I hit 200 followers on Tumblr, and decided that this would be my "thank you" to all of them._

_There were a few more things I wanted to add, but I decided I shouldn't play with this universe anymore because I'd probably turn into another series I don't need to write XP. So, I hope you all enjoy!_

_**Timeframe**__: Sometime between Chapters 25 and 26._

* * *

Feeling a warm sensation on his neck, Roy slowly opened his eyes and blinked, his sleep-deprived mind taking longer than usual to register what it was. After a few moments, however, he realized who it was as he attempted to try and move the fingers of the arm that was pinned to the bed. Keeping his neck and head in place, he allowed his eyes to wander down to the culprit.

He hadn't expected her to be there, seeing that she was _still_ adamant that she sleep in separate quarters than him until she was done with the "treatments."

So far, she was halfway through with them, according to the Elric brothers. In that time between the first transmutation and the most recent, 'it' as she still referred to the tail, had long disappeared, though 'they' still remained. From what Edward and Alphonse said, the process would be longer to change the anatomy there because of a combination of the pain and the delicateness by which it would be done. Though Riza was disappointed in the notion, she understood it and worked around it, choosing a combination of different hats and hair styles that helped conceal 'them.'

Tilting his head slightly to get a better look, he saw that the nightcap she normally wore around the house was half on, half off her head, exposing one of them. Even in the comfort of their own home, she was still insistent on wearing something to cover them, despite his protests that there was nothing to worry about there. But after he realized she was genuinely happier that way, he dropped the subject, wanting only what was best for her.

Right now they were at the point where they had migrated slightly downward and had gotten thinner, resulting in the tips to droop. Looking at the one he could see right now, he noted that it was doing exactly that. Right now she was in a prime position, her face inches from his neck and her arm hanging loosely over his waist.

He knew the consequences of his actions, but it was too good an opportunity to pass up…

Taking a deep, yet quiet breath, he slowly released a puff of air, directing it toward her ear. A beat later, it twitched, flattened, and then stood completely straight. The action was then followed by a soft groan as she shifted and opened her eyes and moved her head back to look at him.

Sleepily narrowing goldenrod-colored eyes at him, she mumbled, "What are you doing here…?"

"I could ask you the same thing," he replied with a hint of playfulness, "Because this is my room."

She blinked once, twice, as she registered what he was saying. Then, glancing past him and rolling onto her back, she surveyed the room, indeed realizing that it was his and not hers.

When she sighed frustratedly, he rolled onto his side and propped himself up on his elbow, eyeing her curiously. "Do you think it happened again," he murmured.

She rolled her head side to side against her pillow in disagreement and said, "No… At least I don't _think_ it did, because I certainly don't feel like it did."

He nodded thoughtfully. Oftentimes after she disconnected and reconnected, she'd report feeling particularly alert for another hour or so. It appeared that this time, however, that was not the case…

"I think it's just the stress," she muttered as she closed her eyes. "We have so much to do and so little time to do it all."

"Hey," he said reassuringly as he reached up and pushed a loose strand of hair away from her face. "We're right on schedule with everything, so why be stressed?"

She raised a brow as her eyes wandered over to him, casting him a dubious glare. "Because you're about to become the most powerful man in Amestris and we have yet to even meet with the caterer for the reception… That's why," she replied rather bluntly.

He smiled lightly as he placed his free hand on top of the one she had closest to her. "It'll all be okay. I promise."

Exhaling slowly, she reached up with her other hand and rubbed the bridge of her nose. After a few moments, she muttered, "We should probably get up," as she looked toward him. With a small smile, she added, "Let's do 'memories' tonight, okay?"

"Of course," he murmured as he used the arm she had pinned beneath her to draw her into him, planting a light kiss on her forehead. When he drew away, he grinned and said, "Let's get up then."

With a quick nod in agreement, she broke free of his grasp and grabbed the nightcap, once again putting it in its proper place as she sat up on the edge of the bed. After a few moments of adjusting, she noticed that he wasn't moving. When she turned around, she caught him watching her. Raising her brows worriedly, she asked, "Is something wrong," as she continued to fiddle with the cap.

"Not at all," Roy replied as he shook his head and smiled. "I'm just admiring you."

He watched as her cheeks reddened slightly as she turned away. "There isn't anything to admire," she murmured as she at last refit the cap to her liking.

When he opened his mouth to object, she had already slipped off of the bed and began to head toward the bedroom door. With a sigh he shook his head and pushed the covers off of himself, planting his feet on the ground as he got up to follow after her.

* * *

"So what's on the agenda for today," Roy asked over his shoulder as he poured himself a cup of coffee.

"Well, we have a list of about fifty things we need to accomplish in the coming weeks, so pretty much anything is fair game," Riza muttered as she pulled a piece of paper from one of the folders that were piled on top of the kitchen table. She begun to skim down it to find something that would be the easiest to get out of the way in the shortest amount of time. But as soon as she got halfway down the list, it was ripped out of her grasp.

Looking up at Roy, she saw that he was dangling the paper just a few inches from her reach. With an exasperated sigh, she crossed her arms and asked, "What are you doing, Roy?"

Smiling at her, he replied, "I was thinking we should take the day off and just relax."

Though she tried not to look shocked, Riza still could not help but gape at him. His inauguration ceremony was in _three weeks_. There was hardly any time to even sit and consider having free time, much less _act_ on the thought. As she opened her mouth to reply, Roy shook his head and said, "I won't take 'no' for an answer, Riza."

Collecting herself and her thoughts, she calmly and patiently said, "Roy, _dear_, we have three weeks until you become the Fuhrer of Amestris. It is ill-advised to take a day off now."

His smile turning into a smirk, Roy agreed. "That's true. It is ill-advised to take a day off. However, as your commanding officer and soon to be Fuhrer, I am ordering you to take the day off."

Narrowing her eyes, she searched his expression for some telling sign of this being a prank or joke. But when she found no indication of either, she shot him a look of disbelief and demanded, "Why? Why now of all-"

"Because we need a day off," he replied matter-of-factly as he pulled out the chair that was across from her and sat down. Ignoring the critical look she was giving him, he casually raised his cup of coffee to his lips and took a long draught, raising one of his brows as in reply to her silent glare. When she began to protest and try to appeal to him, he lowered his mug and set it on the table, just as a knock on the door drew her attention away from him.

Looking down at his pocket watch, he nodded and mumbled, "Right on time," as he got up from the table and headed around it. As he passed her by, he grabbed the cap and pulled if off of her head, not bothering to glance back when he heard her gasp in surprise.

Twirling it around his finger as he sauntered over to the front door, he pulled it open to reveal Doctor Knox.

The doctor pulled the toothpick from between his teeth and mumbled a quiet greeting, to which Roy responded with a wide grin and a pleasant 'hello.' When he invited Knox to step into his home, Riza appeared from the kitchen donning a baggy, hooded sweatshirt Roy often wore to the gym, the hood pulled over her head. Padding over to them, she raised her hand in a salute and said, "Hello Dr. Knox. It's a pleasant surprise seeing you here at this hour."

The doctor acknowledged her salute with one of his own before raising a brow and frowning toward Roy. "You didn't tell her I was coming?"

"No," Roy replied coolly as he leaned against the foyer's wall and crossed his arms, "I figured it'd be a surprise." Ignoring the glare she shot toward him, he invited the doctor into their living room with a wave of his hand.

When he turned to follow the doctor after he had awkwardly stepped between the two, Riza pulled him backwards and growled, "What is this about, Roy?"

"Since we're taking the day off, I figured we'd catch up on those appointments you've been missing with Doctor Knox," he replied mischievously.

Her eyes widening slightly, she whispered, "You planned this entire day off already?"

Grinning back as he shrugged his shoulders up and down, he said, "I did. Your stress sleep-walking just conveniently happened to occur today."

Gaping at him, she finally managed to utter, "Roy, do you realize how much work we have to do? Stressed or not, I, _we_, cannot sit out for an entire day!"

"What work," he asked playfully. "Do you mean the caterer for the reception or my meeting with the council? Or maybe you meant-"

"All of it," she interjected with a frustrated huff.

"Done," he said simply to her blunt comment.

"What," she muttered as if she hadn't heard him right.

"All of it is done," he clarified. "The caterer is set, my meeting with the council was last week, and the photographers have been informed of where they need to be positioned for the best shots."

She searched his expression, looking for signs of bluffing, her suspicions on high alert. He, however, remained adamant as he grinned back. At last, she finally asked, "How did you manage to do all of that behind my back?"

"Because," he said with a light chuckle, "You aren't the only one that's helping me run the show. While you've been focusing on so many other things, I got some help from the men and a few other people.

"So now that most of the list is finished," he added, "We are allowed to take a personal day for our mental and physical well-beings."

Her face softened slightly upon hearing the news, the weight and stress seemingly lifting off of her shoulders as she straightened up. With a relenting sigh, she looked up at him and murmured, "If this is all true, then I suppose I we could take the morning off…"

"And the afternoon," Roy corrected her. "Trust me, everything I said is done… and more. Let's just take the day and unwind, okay?"

Exhaling slowly, she said, "Alright, but only today. After that we can't get off track again, promise?"

"I promise," he said as his grin widened. Taking a step to the side, he allowed her to pass him and head into the living room, following shortly after her.

"Let's start with you first, Captain," Doctor Knox muttered as she sat down across from him. Pulling a notepad out from his bag, he uncapped a pen and asked, "How have you been feeling?"

"I've been feeling fine," she answered.

"That's not what your fiancée told me," the doctor replied as he shook his head and jotted down a quick note. "He said you've been looking at him crookedly for the past couple of weeks."

"What," she asked confusedly as she turned her attention to Roy, who raised his hand and pointed at his ear.

"Did he now," she muttered as she turned back to the doctor, who had leaned forward in his chair. Knowing that lying was pointless, she begrudgingly removed the hood and braced her elbows on her knees, resting her chin atop her fists.

Knox got to his feet and walked over to her side. Gripping her ear gently, he began to peer inside; all the while she projected her defeated expression toward Roy. When the doctor muttered something to himself and switched ears, Riza was hidden behind him, though Roy still knew she still kept her eyes glued to the place he would be.

After a few moments, the doctor nodded and mumbled something again to himself and sat down. Once he scratched out a few notes, he looked up at her and said, "They both look a little red and inflamed, but not infected… yet. I suggest you spend less time wearing those hats around the house so you can actually let them breathe."

Knowing she couldn't argue with the doctor, she nodded and said that 'she'd try.'

When Knox shot Roy a quick look, he nodded his head in silent code, reassuring the doctor that he'd be sure that happened.

Aside from that, the doctor declared that she seemed to be in perfect health. And after briefly looking over Roy, he determined the same thing.

"Alright," he said at last as he put his pen and notepad away, "I want you two to actually do what the General actually planned for the day: Relax. Because I don't want to see either of you again before the inauguration in three weeks, you hear?"

When the two of them agreed, he grumbled something or other about 'empty promises' as he rose to his feet and shuffled toward the door. After a final farewell and a reminder 'for the Captain,' Roy sent him off with a reassurance that the two of them would keep their word.

Closing the door behind him, he leaned against it as he peered back at Riza, who stood with one brow raised and her arms folded across her chest. "So what other surprises do you have in store for the day?"

* * *

"How about this one," Roy asked as he took an enormous sunhat out of the box in between the pair and placed it on his head, the hat falling over his eyes moments later.

Shaking her head and laughing lightly, Riza said, "I'm not meant to be the center of attention, Roy, and that hat is surely going to draw all eyes toward it. Although," she said when he grabbed the edge of it and pulled it up over his eyes, "You could definitely wear it." Pushing it back down over his eyes, she added, "That would ensure no one would look away from you."

With a chuckle, he nudged her hand away and lifted it up again. "I'll be wearing my uniform and the appropriate hat for it. You, on the other hand," he said as he placed it on her head, "Are the one we need to dress for. And no matter what we choose, there will still be eyes on you."

She rolled her eyes at him as she adjusted the hat. "I think I should just wear my formal uniform to the event. It's less attention-grabbing…"

He watched her face fall slightly as she brushed her fingers over one of the jackets they had laid out.

If he had the power, he would have changed the ceremony again in an instant; but at that time, he still had to bow to the whim of the democratic ruling. With the coming of the new year and the changes that had already been implemented, the majority voted for it to be postponed six months after he and Riza were finally reunited, well before the 'treatments' would be completed. And after the decision was made, it was unanimously decided that his fiancée would be presented as the next Fuhrer's wife, not as his personal aide or bodyguard.

He could see the internal struggle she went through every time they had to make a public appearance as the future Fuhrer and First Lady, see the turmoil and self-consciousness she dealt with on a daily basis as she tried to hide herself as best she could.

This day was just as much about her as it was for him. To deny her that day by forcing her to blend in and disappear into the crowd was a crime. And something Roy could not have.

"No," he responded as he shook his head. "We're going to make this work; you don't deserve to hide behind a uniform because of something that was out of your control. You," he added softly as he pushed a strand of hair away from her face, "Deserve to show everyone how beautiful you are on the outside since they already know you are on the inside."

She hesitated for a moment before she lightly pushed his hand away. "Please don't say that, Roy. I know you're just trying to make things sound better than they actually are."

"I don't know what you're talking about," he disagreed as he furrowed his brow. "I've always thought that. Especially since I first told you-"

"But that's the thing, Roy; I'm not the woman you fell in love with back then," was her quiet reply.

Blindsided by this comment that he did not expect, Roy opened his mouth but produced no sound. But after a moment he collected enough of his thoughts to utter, "What do you mean by that?"

She shook her head as she removed the hat and set it on her lap. Smiling sadly, she said, "It's just that, Roy. I'm not.

"Over the past five years we've both changed so much and grown. And now… Now all you've had to go off of is what you thought back five years ago and beyond, and what I've told you to fill in the gaps." Folding her arms uncomfortably across her chest, she continued, "Maybe it's just because of my self-doubt or everything that's happened, but I just sometimes can't imagine why-" She paused for a moment as she took a deep, shaking breath, "-Why you would stay when there are so many other wonderful, beautiful women that don't come with baggage like _this_." Raising a hand, she gestured to her ears and her eyes before dropping it back into her lap.

As she spoke, he began to realize that this was more than just hiding her physicality from the world… This… this self-doubt was something she thought long and hard about…

Shaking his head, he took her hands from her lap. Holding them between his hands, he looked up at her and said, "You're right. You aren't the woman I fell in love with years ago." As she opened her mouth to agree or add to it, however, he continued on by saying, "Because you are her and so much more than that.

"You're forgetting that I'm not the man you fell in love with either. I lost five years of memories shared between us, Riza, and that alone can change a man. But you," he said as he ran his thumb over the back of her hand, "You still stayed with _me_ and put up with _me_ as I've struggled to make sense of it all, despite going through your own hell and internal turmoil.

"_That_ alone can make any man fall head over heels in love with a woman all over again. I've known from the very start that it would be _you_ I'd spend the rest of my life with, and something like this isn't going to change that.

"We've both grown and changed… But we've done it together and have built a future from these changes; physical or otherwise.

"I guess what I'm trying to say," he said as he released one of her hands and rubbed the back of his head, "Is that we have both changed, but no matter what, that one truth that has always been there has remained the same.

"I love you, Riza Hawkeye. I always have and I always will; whether your ears are on top of your head or your skin was blue. Nothing, _nothing_, will ever change that, because you are more than who you appear to me."

She released a quiet breath as she peered back at him with golden-brown eyes, her expression softening as she shook her head slightly, a small smile on her face. "How did this go from a conversation about my inauguration attire to a profession of your love for me, Roy Mustang?"

Hearing the lightness in her tone, he smiled and said, "Because I know you… And I knew that there was more to it than that. You came prepared to this conversation, but so did I."

Tilting her head slightly, she asked, "And how is it that you're very much the same considerate, wonderful man you were before all of this happened?"

Chuckling slightly as once again took both of her hands between his, he looked into her eyes and said, "Well, I have _you_ to thank you that."

* * *

With a content sigh, Roy rested his head against the wall behind the couch as his eyes wandered down to the woman that had fallen asleep, her head resting against his shoulder. With one arm already wrapped around her, he used his free hand to move the photo album off of his lap and onto the side of the couch that was not occupied by either one of them.

The day had turned out as perfect as he had envisioned it, full of laughs, smiles, and shared memories. It seemed like ages since they were able to sit down with that old photo album and retell memories of the past. And maybe it was just him, but after that conversation, he saw a change in Riza; one where she seemed more sure of herself and more confident than she had been in previous months. And where she smiled more than he could remember. She even followed the doctor's orders of removing the cap in the house, a testament to how comfortable she began to feel again.

Maybe that's all she needed to hear in order to regain the confidence she so desperately sought. And if that was the case, then it was something he would be sure to remind her over and over again until she took it to heart.

Because no matter what, he thought to himself as he leaned forward slightly and placed a kiss on her temple, she was always beautiful, both inside and out.

* * *

_Okay, I'm done for real now. Honest!_


End file.
